


Hush

by Xov



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Humor, F/M, Flashbacks, Friendship, M/M, Naruto's not very good at time travel, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Time Travel, but he manages with some help, stupid comics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-03
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-03-28 19:38:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 110,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3867325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xov/pseuds/Xov
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He really hated hospitals.  The novelty of being in one again disappeared as quickly as it came when Tsunade forced a cup full of pills down his throat. </p><p>Being stranded in another world really wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Especially when people start dying and Naruto is at a complete loss of what to do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cold Wind

**Author's Note:**

> This has been stuck in my head for a while now, so I figured I should try and write it. I've never written anything beyond essays and research papers before (so many papers), so hopefully this doesn't turn out to be as clinical and dry as I'm used to.
> 
> Also, it turns out that I love writing almost as much as reading - so I'd really love it if anyone gave me some advice on how I can improve my writing!
> 
> I hope you enjoy chapter 1!

A red pool dampened the earth, a lazy trail meandering down towards a gentle stream formed by the early morning rain. A metallic scent permeated the air, mixing unpleasantly with the fresh scent of the surrounding forest. 

No birds sang. No insects crawled.  

Red reached the gentle stream and was silently carried away. 

Quieter still, footsteps managed not to disturb neither earth nor fallen leaf as a young man approached, the slight widening of dark eyes the only indication of _wrong_ as he appraised the scene while carefully following the trail to its source.

The red pool surrounded the equally shocking red hair of a man who lay unnaturally still amidst the foliage. The young man knelt down and reached out with two fingers in attempt of finding a pulse, finding only cold flesh. With an inaudible sigh he withdrew his hand, preparing to stand and properly scan the area and body. 

A harsh, rattling breath disturbed the unnatural silence, startling the young man from moving. Two clear blue eyes forced themselves open against the smattering light of day shining between the trees and stared through their observer.

The corpse gasped a name. 

 

 

* * *

 

“He said Sasuke,” a soft but even voice pronounced.  A harried looking blonde man appeared to be searching for something to say in return, but was interrupted before he had the chance of speaking. “I’m certain it wasn’t in relation to my brother, if that is your concern.”

“You’re more than likely correct. However, some caution would be prudent. I’ve sent an Anbu to watch over him at the academy just in case.  The circumstances are more than a little unusual, not to mention ominous.” The blonde sighed before continuing. “I sent Kakashi out after the first team returned with no idea of where this guy came from.  No scent trails, no footprints, no disturbances in the foliage, no blood trails, no _chakra_ trails – did the guy get flung out here by a tornado or something?”

“No visible force of impact,” the first voice countered flatly.  The blonde grinned tiredly in return. 

“I can always leave it up to you to debunk my perfectly sound theories, Itachi.” He sighed again.

Itachi directed his vision to the window of the Yondaime Hokage’s office.  The Yondaime followed his line of sight and sighed yet again.

“He’s probably out of surgery by now if you wanted to get the report of his condition for me.” he suggested with the lack of any subtlety.  Itachi straightened guiltily and bowed.

“Yes, sir.”

Namikaze Minato watched as Itachi disappeared without a sound from the window.

He sighed.

  

 

* * *

 

“Five cracked ribs, one compound fracture in the right femur, a shattered kneecap, a broken ankle, two punctured lungs, head trauma, severe blood loss, and to top it off _severe chakra exhaustion_!  Whoever was after this kid managed to incapacitate him in about every possible way, and somehow still fail to kill him.  Tch, I can’t decide if I should be impressed the brat is still alive, or embarrassed for whoever was trying to take him out.  I suppose I’ll settle for a little bit of both, because I really didn’t think he was going to make it.” 

Itachi watched as Tsunade of the Sannin furiously wrote what was supposed to be a report on the condition of her latest patient, but appeared to be a demand for free sake. He blinked as she thrust the paper under his nose.

“Give that to Minato and tell him to come over here himself if he wants to talk about this guy.” She leaned against the counter and snatched a bottle of sake from somewhere, only to set it down in disappointment after finding it empty.  She frowned and continued. “And yes, I mean here in person.  There are certain things that shouldn’t be discussed over notes or Anbu.”

Itachi nodded and glanced over at the occupied hospital bed. 

“So his condition has stabilized?”

“Keh, stabilized?  I would hardly call it that.  I’ve healed what I can of his physical condition and we’ve given him enough blood to keep his heart beating, but when I say he was suffering from severe chakra exhaustion I meant his chakra reserves were drier than a dune in Suna.  Whatever he did, or whoever did this to him used up every bit he has – and then some.  There’s always a chance his body will go back into shock and unless he starts reforming his own soon, introducing anymore foreign chakra to his system could create complications.”

Tsunade crossed her arms and sent a contemplative look towards her patient.  Itachi took the few steps over to the hospital bed to better observe its occupant.

Wild red hair not quite as long as Itachi’s own stood in stark contrast against both the harsh white of the hospital sheets and ghastly pale of the man’s face.  Smudges of blood lingered, not fully wiped away after he was brought in for treatment ten hours earlier.  Six scars mirrored each other, three on either side of his face. 

Itachi thought that he looked very young. 

“He’s probably in his early twenties, though with these guys it can be hard to tell.” Tsunade responded to the unspoken question.  Narrowed eyes looked back at her.

“‘These guys’?” He parroted blandly. Tsunade waved him off.

“Some things shouldn’t be discussed over notes or Anbu,” she repeated her earlier words. “Drag the Yondaime out of his chair; I need his confirmation on this.”

“No need for dragging, curiosity is all that it took this time,” the Yondaime’s cheerful voice materialized from the doorway.  “Kakashi came back just as perplexed as the first team.” He continued in a stage whisper, “I think it hurt his pride a little bit.” The blonde was followed by a world-weary masked jounin who purposefully ignored his former teacher’s teasing. 

“So this is the guy who – Oh.” Minato startled, eyes widening as he approached the subject of conversation. “He’s …”

Tsunade huffed.

“So I was right.  Not that I had much doubt between the hair and chakra reserves.” She instinctively grasped for the flask that was supposed to be in her pocket.  Her eye twitched as she withdrew an empty hand.

Minato hovered over the patient, hand rising to cover his mouth as he observed. Kakashi drew in a long breath when he understood the implication, but remained by the door.

Impatiently, Itachi crossed his arms and stared at Kakashi - his best bet for information at this point. Kakashi blinked and stared back in amusement, gifting Itachi with a cheerful wave.  Itachi continued staring.

“Yes, if the hair and chakra coils aren’t dead giveaways, the fuinjutsu certainly is.” Minato said.

“Fuinjutsu?” Tsunade strode to where Minato was standing.

“The tattoos,” Minato clarified, pointing to nonsensical designs trailing the man’s right arm. “They’re well-disguised, but I can promise they’re not there for decoration.  This is fuinjutsu I have never seen before. With a cursory glance, I’m not sure I could even tell you what this seal does.” He trailed off briefly before continuing. “As skilled as she was, Kushina herself admitted she was hardly comparable to the Fuinjutsu Masters of the Uzumaki Clan, having only her childhood to learn the subject.  If he’s an Uzumaki…”

“If he’s an Uzumaki, he would have been a toddler – if that – when Uzushio was attacked.” Tsunade proclaimed.

“But his parents might have survived, passed on the knowledge.” He countered.

Tsunade harrumphed. “Well it’s in poor taste to make up his life story for him.  We’ll have to wait and see when he wakes up.  Someone else might have put that thing on him for all we know.  What I want to know is how the boy ended up nearly dead in a Konoha training ground.” She turned to look at Kakashi, who sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

“Maybe you should ask Itachi-kun, since he was the one who found him?” Kakashi deflected.  Itachi gave him a dry look. “Maa, sometimes words help in a conversation, Itachi-kun.” At Minato’s stifled chuckle and Tsunade’s eye roll, Kakashi sighed. “It’s all very strange. I don’t know what to make of it. I can’t track something that has no trail.”

Itachi reverted his gaze to the patient.

“There wasn’t anything at the training grounds this morning. It was quiet.”

Kakashi read between the lines.

“You followed the quiet and found him.”

Itachi nodded.

“The quiet, huh? That’s the last place I would expect to find an Uzumaki.” Tsunade reached under the hospital bed, and pulled her arm back up in triumph with an unopened bottle of sake.

 

 

* * *

 

He felt heavy.  His eyes throbbed under eyelids that refused to open. Something in his chest burned and spread with every wet, shallow breath he stole.  His mouth felt like cotton and tasted like copper.

He should be dead.

He moved his head slightly and tasted bile in the back of his throat.

He should be dead.

Something cold touched his face.  Muffled noises felt like bricks to his skull.

Why wasn’t he dead?

His eyelids slowly ripped open and he continued to see nothing.  His dry eyes burned. He closed them in acquiescence.

Sasuke was dead.

Something cold snaked under the back of his neck and grabbed his shoulder, sending a shiver down his spine.  Cold glass pressed to his lips and the small amount of liquid gagged him.  The hand at his neck moved to the base of his skull, the cold giving him relief he didn’t know he needed.  The muffled noises almost sounded like voices. He smelled blood. He opened his eyes.

He should be dead too.

Two figures stood to his left, dark blurs shaped against a white backdrop. His eyes slipped, unable to focus. The figure closer to him was the one holding his head.  The hand gently pulled away.  A familiar face came into sharp relief.

Maybe he _was_ dead. 

He relaxed and opened his mouth to speak, releasing a rattled cough instead.  A voice from his right calmed him -  he knew that voice.  His distress bled away as eyes flutter closed.

He was dead.

“– It’s to be expected, he did have extensive trauma to the skull – that’s not something anyone jumps right back out of.  I’d be less surprised if he hadn’t woken up at all, given the condition he’s in. People die from less.”

“It’s been four days, Tsunade, and you said when his chakra began recovering two days ago his body began healing ‘substantially faster’ than –“

“I’m aware of what I said, _thank you_ , Minato.  All that means is that it took four days for him to wake up rather than four _weeks_.”

A short silence.

“I’m sorry, I’m just worried.”

“I understand.” A pause. “He’s regaining his focus.”

He opened his eyes.  Four dead ninja stared back at him.

Tsunade no baachan, the Yondaime Hokage – his _father_ , Kakashi-sensei, and Sasuke.

No – that wasn’t right. Even in the end, Sasuke never developed the harsh lines under his eyes that his brother bore. Itachi, then. But where was Sasuke? He looked around the small room in confusion.

His father smiled pleasantly and moved closer to the bed he was confined to. 

“Hello! It’s good to finally see you’ve decided to join us in the world of the living.” He said as an unguarded smile brightened his face.

World of the living? 

He remembered now.

He wished he didn’t.

He wasn’t dead.

Sasuke sent him back.

His head spun.

“Bastard,” his rough voice failing to reach whatever plane of existence Sasuke was in.

“Yes, people say that a lot when they see my face first thing in the morning. It’s perfectly understandable. My name is Namikaze Minato, the current Hokage, and this lovely young lady here who brought you back to life is Senju Tsunade.”

Tsunade scowled and pushed the Hokage away. 

“How are you feeling? Any dizziness or nausea?” She asked.

Resigned, he looked over at the fussing Sannin and Hokage. 

“Was… was I alone?” He asked, voice low and inconsistent from disuse.  At their confused pause, he continued. “When you found me. Was I alone?”

“Yes. You were alone.” Itachi murmured from his left.

The simplicity of the answer stung, despite already having known.

He stared at Itachi, following the familiar contours of a face that he – He looked away.

“What’s your name?” Tsunade’s voice derailed his train of thought.

 _Uzumaki Naruto_ , he almost answered on instinct. But something stopped him.

He looked at Tsunade’s face, deceptively young and full of concern. Long blonde hair pulled back into tails. Not unusual.

He turned his attention to his father – wild blonde hair, sharp blue eyes; Naruto distractedly wondered how he never saw the resemblance between them when he was younger. His face had more lines than Naruto remembered during their brief meeting in his head those many years ago.

Kakashi-sensei, masked and one-eyed as ever stood silently at the far end of the bed, observing Naruto as Naruto observed him. He shifted his sights to Itachi.

Itachi. In the village. Long black hair loosely pulled back, and dark eyes – not Mangekyo red – unreadable.  Proudly wearing his Konoha forehead protector and jounin flak jacket. He never knew Itachi well and Sasuke rarely spoke of him, but he knew Itachi didn’t make jounin before the massacre _when he was thirteen._   This Itachi was sixteen at least.

He redirected his eyes to his father. Older than he should be. He didn’t die during the Kyuubi attack.

His eyes found Tsunade’s. Still in the village working as a medical ninja.

Naruto shook and broke into a cold sweat as the information settles. Bile reached the back of his throat. Small but practiced hands held back his overgrown hair as he dry heaved over the side of the bed.

“How did I get here?” Naruto forced out when the nausea passed. 

Tsunade gently sat him up on the hospital bed and pressed a glass of water to his lips. Naruto grabbed the glass and, with some effort, managed a small sip. His throat burned.

“Uchiha Itachi,” the Yondaime gestured to Itachi who was still at Naruto’s left side, “found you in a training ground bleeding out.  We’ve been wanting to ask you ourselves how you got there.”

 _Found me in a training ground_ , Naruto mouthed. Unease swept through him as the shock began to fade.

“That bastard.” He whispered. Minato and Kakashi swapped glances. Naruto tried to make eye contact with the Yondaime, only keeping it for a moment.

“Paper,” he quietly demanded as he held out his hand.  Kakashi silently supplied both paper and ink, and the four watched as Naruto began to draw out a complex seal with quaking hands. Minato let out a small note of surprise when he recognizes the purpose of it. Naruto didn’t bother finishing it - he wasn’t drawing the real thing, anyhow. He handed it to the Yondaime.

“I was working on that when – my group – we were attacked.”

Kakashi moved over to the Yondaime’s side and attempted to make sense of the choppily drawn seal.

“What is it, Minato-sensei?”

“It’s an incomplete but very complex draft of a space-time seal, similar to the Hiraishin, except this one seems to be intended to be used without physically marking a destination beforehand. So I suppose it would be more accurate to liken it to Kamui.” He said, gaining the two sharingan users’ attention.

Naruto kept his eyes down.

“So you used this to escape the attack?” Kakashi asked.

Naruto’s head snapped up, eyes burning.

“ _No._ ”

His four visitors startled.  Tsunade grimaced.

“Alright, alright. I think there’s been enough interrogation today. He’s just woken up after a four day coma; I think he’s had enough excitement. We still need to run a few tests, make sure we didn’t miss anything.”

“No,” Naruto repeated. “I’m fine.”

Tsunade snorted, but crossed her arms complacently.

Naruto briefly recalled Shikamaru tell him the best lies were crafted within the truth. The image of his friend bloody and half-paralyzed, yet still managing to hold down five enemies with his shadow technique while hoarsely screaming at him ‘ _save Temari and’ –_ Naruto broke off the thought.

Hoarsely, Naruto gave his story, “I was working on that seal when we were attacked. I don’t know what happened to – I saw Gaara last, he was alright. Fighting. I don’t – I don’t want to think about what happened to him. The – Our attackers must have been watching us for a while. No idea how, I had more perimeter traps set up than there was perimeter, but they found _something_ I missed. I was tired – a few days without sleep – wasn’t able to react fast enough when they turned my direction.”

Naruto winced as he recalled the pain.

“Sasuke, that bastard, grabbed me – “ Minato and Kakashi glanced at Itachi, who remained impassive as he listened. “ – pulled me to the back where I had the – He saved my life, that asshole. I was dying, we both knew it. That was the only way out of that shithole and he forced it on a dying man.” 

He gave Itachi a desperate look, trying to ask a question without words. Itachi faltered, dark hair failing into eyes.

“Do you have the location of where this happened? If it’s within the border of the Fire Country, I can have a team scout the area and see if any of your group – “

“No. They didn’t make it.”

The Yondaime hesitated, “But if there’s any chance at all-”

“No, you don’t understand. There was more to that seal than – It – There’s no one left.” He finished quietly while giving a bleak smile. “Not that it would matter, because if memory serves, the attack took place within Lightning Country.”

An uncomfortable silence stole the room. Tsunade grunted.

“We never got your name, kid.”

 _Something so simple,_ Naruto thought. He thought about Shikamaru and _blood_ and decided that he was never very good at lying anyway.

“Uzumaki Naruto.”

“Naruto!” The Yondaime grinned brightly, an attempt at dispelling the gloom. “That’s a great name!  Before Kushina passed, she was insistent on naming our kid that if it was a boy. I’m sure she would be glad there’s an Uzumaki out there with that name already.” Minato continued smiling, despite the difficult topic.

Uncomprehendingly, Naruto asked, “Kushina…?”

“Uzumaki Kushina, my late wife – the most beautiful woman I’ll ever lay eyes on.” He spoke with reverence.

Kakashi didn’t seem to be able to handle the matter as easily as the Yondaime and turned to look out the window, despite the closed blinds.

“It’s been twelve years already, but the fact that I was able to know her at all is more than I deserve.” He declared.  Tsunade’s expression crumbled as her own demons surfaced.

Naruto stared with pained eyes as he tiredly realized just how far away from home he was. 

“She thought with the loss of Uzushio, she lost her family as well.  I’m certain she’d have been overjoyed that someone from her clan managed to survive.” Minato’s face gained a look of determination. “As the Hokage, I welcome you to remain in Konoha for as long as you please. I’ll have the arrangements made for your stay, and if there is anything at all that you need –“

Shocked by the impromptu and reckless invitation, Naruto interrupted. “No, no. Thank you, but I need to go.”

Tsunade stomped her foot, adding a new crater to the floor. “You ‘ _need to go_ ’? Brat, do you have any idea the condition you’re in right now? You’re not leaving this hospital, let alone the city!”

“I- I heal fast!” Naruto argued weakly, bewildered by the sudden change in atmosphere.

“You heal fast,” Itachi repeated, unimpressed.

“You heal fast?!” Tsunade shouted. “It took two days for your body to start healing itself at all! Yes, we may have patched up all of the worse injuries, but even your _fast healing_ isn’t fast enough to clear you for leaving this room!”

“I used to heal _really, really_ fast.” Naruto said petulantly, sulking back into the pillows behind him.

 _But not anymore_ , he thought. _Not after the extraction_.

A red, feral grin appeared in his thoughts, and he banished them.

“But Tsunade-hime, he’ll recover even faster with some fresh air!” the Fourth Hokage whined, ignoring Naruto’s declaration of leaving. 

Tsunade opened a window and stared pointedly. Minato sighed dramatically. Tsunade glared.

“Really, _Yondaime_ - _sama_. His health comes first. Once he’s recovered he’s all yours.  Now that he’s awake I have some questions I need to ask him in order to ensure that he’s healing properly.  Don’t you have some papers to sign or something?  Ideally he shouldn’t be put under this much stress just after waking up to begin with.  Uchiha-kun has been the only helpful one in this room today.” Itachi blinked at the admission.

“I’m fine! Really! I appreciate all the concern, but I really can’t stay here.” Naruto proclaimed, the exhaustion in his voice discrediting him.

“And where exactly do you need to go?  Do you have a hometown or any family we can send notice to? Because I can promise you’re not going anywhere with a broken leg and shattered kneecap. Those aren’t things that heal quickly even at a hospital.”

Naruto looked at his fully bound left leg.

“I’ll be fine with a pair of crutches.” He said.

Four pairs of eyes stared at him in disbelief. Minato poorly stifled his laugh.

“How severe was the head trauma again, Tsunade-hime?” Kakashi asked dryly.

“Clearly more severe than I initially assumed,” a large vein pulsed in her forehead. “You’re not going anywhere and that is final. I’ll have Uchiha-kun stand guard if you’re going to be difficult.”

Itachi raised an amused brow at the declaration. 

“Maa, demoted to guard duty of an invalid, Itachi-kun?”

“He’s been over here enough, he might as well get paid for it.” Tsunade said distractedly. “You didn’t answer my questions earlier, brat. If you have any family or friends you’d like to get in contact with, now is the time to tell us the who and where.”

Naruto lowered his eyes, thinking of Sasuke and Gaara, the last ones he saw.

“No, I’m alone now.”

After an uncomfortable silence, a grim smile swept across Minato's face before he spoke, “No. You’re not.”

 

 

* * *

 

“Sensei, you’re the Hokage. As cute as he is, you can’t bring strays to live in your house with you.  He might have fleas or something.”

“After a week and a half in the hospital, I would certainly hope they managed to get rid of any fleas.  I’m pretty sure fleas are something Tsunade wouldn’t stand for.”

Kakashi sighed.

“It’s a matter of security, _Hokage-sama_.”

“I’m hardly an old man, Kakashi- _kun_.  If he turns out to be a very well-disguised assassin, I’m pretty sure I can take him.”

“Even so, taking in a random, _unaffiliated_ , shinobi that we have no information on is hardly setting a good example for your people. I’m sure you can imagine the type of rumors that would get around.”

“He’s hardly a random shinobi – he’s Kushina’s family. That makes him my family by default.”

“He’s twenty-four years old; he wasn’t even born yet when Uzushio was attacked. He said he was an orphan too, meaning he has no connection with Uzushio and Kushina-san beyond legacy.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that he needs our help. He’s planning something, probably some type of revenge. He’s being very evasive about details on what happened and why he was attacked.”

“Minato-sensei, that’s exactly why we shouldn’t trust him.  That he is unable to trust us – even after saving his life – that makes him _dangerous_. We have no idea who he is, or if anything he’s said to us is true –

“ _He looks just like her._ ”

A silence as numbing as the winter’s morning breeze coursed through the room.

The quiet twisted Namikaze Minato’s face as memories unbidden surfaced.  Kakashi closed his visible eye and tried not to remember. 

Minato’s hushed voice struck through the silence.

“His hair, the shape of his eyes, the way he talks – I can see Kushina in him. I… I never got to say my goodbyes to her, I wasn’t – I wasn’t gifted that opportunity.  If I can get to know Naruto and bring him _peace_ , I think… I think maybe I can learn to forgive myself. I think maybe _Kushina_ could forgive me.”

“ _Sensei_. You’ve done nothing that requires forgiveness. Kushina-san would tell you the same thing. Along with the fact that you’re an idiot.”

Minato let out a choked laugh and brought his head down to rest in his hands.

“Yes. You’re probably right. But I think – just this one time – I need to be selfish. I just – I need this, Kakashi. For _my_ sake.”

Obligingly, Kakashi let the topic drop. He leaned against the ledge of the window, staring out.

“I’m not saying he shouldn’t be allowed to stay in the city. I’m saying the Hokage himself shouldn’t be the one playing nursemaid, host, and keeper while he’s here.  You already have enough responsibilities, Sensei.”

“I know, I know. But I can’t just leave him in the hospital, either. Unbelievably, he’s already healed to the point where Tsunade would be comfortable releasing him, provided that he takes it easy. The only reason she hasn’t is because she knows he’ll do something stupid on his own.”

“We can’t force him to stay in the village,” Kakashi pointed out. Minato tapped out an agitated rhythm on his desk.

“I’ll think of something. But for now we need to find him a place to stay while he’s recovering before he starts a revolt within the hospital.”

“He can stay with me.” Itachi’s untroubled voice suggested. The blonde’s head whipped in his direction.

“Itachi! When did you get here?”

“Really, Itachi-kun, it’s rude to eavesdrop on private conversations, you know.”

“The door was open and I wasn’t masking my chakra.” He stated, pointing at the door.

Minato grinned. “You’re just too quiet. You’re always scaring people when you walk up behind them.”

“It isn't my fault they’re not paying attention.” He shrugged, glancing pointedly at Kakashi. “But I meant it. I could take in Uzumaki-san while he finishes recovering.”

“Itachi…”

“You’ve been trying to convince me to take a vacation for years now – Now is as good a time as any, especially with Sasuke’s graduation coming up.”

“I’m not sure this would really qualify as a vacation.” Minato said sheepishly. Itachi shrugged.

“I would get bored, otherwise.”

Kakashi tilted his head, eyeing Itachi.

“Hmm. You’re unusually interested in this guy, Itachi-kun.  You’ve been visiting him in the hospital rather often since he was admitted.” Kakashi pried.

“I was the one who found him. I might feel responsible for him.” Itachi not-answered, waving his hand dismissively. 

Kakashi continued humming skeptically, single eye boring into Itachi’s impassive countenance. Ignoring the not-interrogation, Minato brightened at the news.

“So you’ve been visiting him too? Has he said anything interesting to you? So far all I’ve gotten is his age, a few details on how he grew up, his favorite color – _orange_ , by the way –, and knowledge of his forbidden and not-so-secret love of ramen.”

Kakashi and Itachi both turned to stare at the Hokage.

“What?” He asked defensively. “He keeps trying to get the nurses to bring him ramen, and Tsunade punched the bowl through the window when I brought him some from Ichiraku’s. The poor guy looked like she just stuffed all his hopes and dreams into a dirty old bag and beat it with a rusty pipe full of poisoned senbon.” He paused briefly, “And then fed it to Gamabunta.”

Itachi coughed discreetly. “He plays Go. He says an old friend of his tried to teach him to play a while back, but Uzumaki-san was ‘too troublesome to teach when he couldn’t sit still for more than five minutes’. I brought over a goban and we’ve played a few games.”

“He any good?” Kakashi asked.

“He’s a beginner. He’s too aggressive on the board – doesn’t really consider his defenses much.”

“Hah, well that’s ironic, since in the real world all he seems to be doing is building his defenses.  Every time we talk I feel like he’s built another wall around himself.” Minato eyed the ceiling suspiciously.

“I don’t think he’s used to being this vulnerable. We’ve caught him at what he sees as a disadvantage and he’s trying to control his situation as much as possible, which in this case means limiting the information he gives us.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.” Minato admitted, leaning back in his chair. “I just want him to feel comfortable here.”

“No, you want him to move in with you and smother him until he develops Stockholm syndrome and never leaves Konoha ever again.” Kakashi revealed.

“Well, there’s that, yes.”

Itachi looked mildly concerned.

“But his comfort comes first. Itachi! I’ll leave him in your hands for now.” The Yondaime said while scribbling something down on a piece of scratch paper. “You’re living in the jounin apartments at the moment, right?”

“Ah, no. Sasuke got into a… disagreement with one of the neighbors and since he visits frequently I thought it would be best to find somewhere less – disruptive. I moved to the apartments down Kaiou Street last month.”

“Would that disagreement involve Genma by any chance?” Kakashi asked.

“Hmm.” Itachi not-answered again, staring out the window past Kakashi’s head.

“That’s even better! Those apartments are practically right around the corner!” Minato barreled on, unconcerned with Itachi’s reason for moving.

“So expect several visits from the Hokage, Itachi-kun. If he agrees to live with you, that is.”

Minato chuckled.

“When I visited him three hours ago, he’d built a tower from chopsticks he’s been stashing somehow and was stuck between titling it ‘the Eater of Worlds and Master of Crossword Puzzles Lord Zerith’ and ‘The Aroma of Ramen When The Sun Began To Set Under The Tree Next To That One House I Was At That One Time’.  He said he was leaning towards the latter, but he was afraid he’d forget it since it was so long.”

Kakashi blanched. “We need to get him out of the hospital.”

Itachi silently agreed.

“Alright, here –“ Minato held out a rejected form titled ‘ _Equal Opportunity Bathhouses! No More Gender Segregation_!’, blinked in surprise and flipped it over to reveal a hastily scrawled note to Tsunade. “Give this to her, she’ll let you know anything you need to about his condition. Kakashi, you go too, just in case something happens. I’d go myself, but Hiruzen-san has me on lockdown since he’s figured out I’ve managed to stockpile four days’ worth of paperwork.” He said, glaring down at the poorly hidden stacks of papers behind his desk.

Itachi took the note and began to follow Kakashi, who was already half way out of the window.

“Swing by later and let me know how he’s doing!” The Yondaime called as the two jounin left for the hospital. Kakashi waved his hand in affirmation as he reached ground level.

 

 

* * *

 

Naruto pulled another chopstick out of his tower. It wobbled slightly, but remained standing.

He never thought being in a _past alternate dimension_ could be so boring. 

Another chopstick was successfully removed without bringing the tower down.

He never really thought he’d be in a past alternate dimension at all. It was kind of weird.

He hesitated with his current choice of chopstick when the tower began to waver unsteadily.

He really hated hospitals. The novelty of being in one again disappeared as quickly as it came when Tsunade forced a cup full of pills down his throat.

 _Success,_ he thought as the worrisome chopstick managed to come out while still leaving the tower intact.

He had things to do, dammit. Alternate dimension or no, he had a mission to carry out. He was the only one left who _could_ do it. He ignored the wave of grief and the condescending voice in his head telling him he was never any good at doing things alone. It sounded too much like Sasuke. 

His eyes narrowed and his tongue stuck out as he gently pulled a precariously placed chopstick. His door slammed open, causing a brief tremor to run across the room.

“- too early to let him out, he might be recovering faster than most patients, but his chakra is still unstable and I can’t figure out why.”

Naruto stared at the pile of chopsticks that littered the small tray over his lap. 

“You killed Lord Zenoth.” He said, eyes glazing over.

“I thought it was Lord Zerith,” Hatake Kakashi replied. Itachi gracefully sailed in through the door after Kakashi and Tsunade.

“I think I’d know the name of my own creation.” Naruto argued, crossing his arms petulantly. Lord Borath would never be forgotten. “Where’s Minato-san?”

“The Hokage is probably busy drowning in all the documents he’s been ignoring since you came tumbling out of the space-time continuum.” Tsunade ranted, hitting a little closer to home than she was aware.

“We’re here to get you out of this place before you go completely insane.” Kakashi intervened.

“You mean you’re letting me go? Really? I think Tsunade-baachan was ready to stitch me to this bed if I tried to take a walk without her supervision again.”

“Watch your tongue, brat. You’ll have worse things to worry about than immobility if you keep calling me that.”

“There’s nothing worse you can do to me; I’ve been having ramen withdrawals for days.” He groaned.

“And to answer your question: No, we’re not letting you go. You still have some recovering left to do, but we’ve figured perhaps a change in scenery might do you some good.” Kakashi informed.

“I’m recovered already!  I bet I can walk just fine without this stupid cast on.” Naruto protested.

“That ‘ _stupid cast’_ is all that’s preventing your bones from deciding to get a nice view of the sunlight again. Even with your accelerated healing, you’ll be wearing that for another week at least. Just be glad lungs are easier for us to heal than bone, or else you’d be sitting around with a tube sticking out of your chest.” Tsunade lectured, brushing a blonde pigtail over her shoulder.

“…It itches.” Naruto grumbled. 

“What are you, twelve? It’s time to grow up and act like an adult! And stop being so reckless with your health! Once you’ve recovered you’ll be free to go and jump down a well or whatever it is you do.”

“Why would I jump down a well? That’s stupid. I have important things I need to do… somewhere.” Naruto frowned and glared at the ceiling. “I’m still figuring that part out! But everyday I’m stuck here is a day I’ve been set back.”

“Hmm, you should consider yourself lucky you have any days at all. You wouldn’t if Itachi-kun hadn’t stumbled upon you when he did.”

Naruto made a face at Kakashi, but didn’t argue the fact.  

“Uzumaki-san, I’ve informed the Hokage that you’d be welcome to stay at my apartment during the remainder of your recovery if you were amenable.” Itachi politely interrupted before things got out of hand.

Naruto gaped at the invitation, blinking dumbly.

“I keep telling you, don’t call me Uzumaki-san. It’s weird.” Naruto weakly forced out. And it _was_ weird. Maybe he wasn’t the same Itachi that Naruto knew, but he was still _Uchiha Itachi_.  He should be staring at him with creepily overpowered Mangekyo Sharingan while shoving crows down his throat or something. Not visiting him in the hospital every day and playing Go with him. And definitely not inviting Naruto to stay with him at his apartment.

Wait, what?

“Did you really just invite me to stay at your apartment?”

Black eyes darted briefly to the side as Itachi responded. “If that’s something you’d be comfortable with. If not, other arrangements can be made so that you do not have to remain in the hospital.”

“Eh? No, no. That-that’d be fine. I was just surprised.” Naruto laughed nervously.

In some ways, spending time with Itachi was easier than it was with anyone else he’d met in this place so far.  He never really knew Itachi, so he never had to worry too much about acting too familiarly or bringing up something that he shouldn’t know about him. Not that they’d talked enough for him to seem suspicious. Itachi was a quiet guy – _and surprisingly kind_ , Naruto thought as he eyed the goban that sat on table to his right. After overhearing Naruto complain about not having anything to do all day, Itachi came back the following day with a goban and somehow managed to teach him a little bit – something Shikamaru declared impossible years ago. Not only that, but Itachi _kept coming back_.  It was weird and awkward, but nice. 

In other ways, spending time with Itachi was incredibly difficult.  His appearance reminded Naruto so starkly of Sasuke who was still so fresh in Naruto’s mind; sometimes it was painful to look at him for more than a few seconds at a time.

 _Really though_ , Naruto thought, _They’re nothing alike at all, Itachi and Sasuke.  I wonder if that’s what bothered Sasuke the most, even after all those years._

“Ahh, you’re too nice, Itachi-san. You’ve got to have better things to do than watch over a poor old cripple like me.”

“Not really.” Itachi bluntly replied. Kakashi slapped a hand over his face. 

“He’s on vacation.” Kakashi helpfully supplied.

“I can think of a lot of things I’d rather be doing on a vacation than watch over this menace.” Tsunade grumbled from over where she was gathering paperwork (which Naruto noticed had a lot of large, angry, unintelligible scribbles all over the pages).

“I’m not very good at taking vacations.” Itachi blandly summed up.

“We’ve noticed.” Tsunade wryly informed.

“But that means I get to leave the hospital, right?”

Tsunade rolled her eyes, “Fine, yes.  Against my better judgment I’ll let you leave. You’re still going to have to come back every other day – there are still some major irregularities with your chakra that are concerning. Other than that, you’re healing well, so as long as you don’t do anything _stupid_ you should be alright to leave.” She looked at Itachi as she spoke the last part. “I hope you know what you’re getting into, Uchiha.” She handed him a jumbled pile of medical notes. “That’s all you’ll need to know about his condition, so don’t come running to me when he starts complaining about itching or ramen withdrawals.”

Itachi flipped through the medical charts and prognoses. “Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I’ll be certain to read these in depth.”

“See, brat? That’s the proper way to address someone who saved your sorry life.” She huffed.

“Whatever you say, baachan.” He flippantly replied. “Oi, Bakashi – gimme those crutches over there. I need to make my great escape before she changes her mind, injures me more and forces me to stay longer.”

Tiredly, Kakashi grabbed the crutches. “Why is Itachi-kun the only one who gets any respect from you?”

“Itachi is nice.” Naruto answered simply.

“ _I’m_ nice.” Kakashi sulked.

“When Minato-san brought in yakisoba, you stole all my chicken when I wasn’t looking.”

“How would you know if you weren’t looking?”

“ _I know._ ” Naruto said venomously.

Kakashi was the same, Naruto had noticed over the past week. Maybe a little less aloof, but overall the same as the Kakashi he’d known since he was twelve, avid porn reading and all. His presence was comforting in a world that seemed to be consistently different than his own.

He thought about the Yondaime and Kakashi’s friendship and was grateful that they still had each other amidst the losses they’ve faced.

 _I just wish they’d never had to lose anything,_ he thought.  _If only I’d have been able to finish the seal…_

Naruto thought about Kushina, about himself never having been born in this world.

A hand resting on his shoulder broke Naruto from his thoughts.  He looked up to find Itachi watching him in concern.

Blinking twice, he came back to attention to find Tsunade and Kakashi squabbling over the Yondaime bringing unauthorized food to patients.

Finger in ear, Kakashi once again grabbed the crutches Naruto asked for earlier. 

Tsunade, believing that Kakashi had been properly chastised, turned to face Naruto.

“I mean it, kid. Every other day. And try to keep chakra use to a minimum until I clear you – something’s out of whack with your reserves, and another episode of chakra exhaustion is _not_ something your body can handle any time soon.”

“Gotcha. Visit every other day, no fun allowed. Blah blah blah. Oh look, time to go!” He quickly blabbed as he hobbled off the bed, wincing as his still healing ribs made themselves known. 

Itachi grabbed Naruto’s right elbow to help him stay upright as he settled on the crutches, Naruto flashing a quick grin in thanks. Itachi watched as Naruto slowly swung his way out of the hospital room door, Tsunade looming closely behind heatedly continuing her earlier lecture about his manners.

“I still don’t get it.” Kakashi said as Tsunade and Naruto were too busy bickering to notice. “You’ve never shown much interest in anyone before. What happened to the unsociable Itachi-kun we all know and love?”

Itachi somehow got quieter and glanced at the battered redhead hobbling down the hall.

“When I found him, he said something.”

“Hmm, your brother’s name?  Which turned out to be his friend’s name. I don’t see how that’s still bothering you.”

“Yes, he did say Sasuke. But after that… he said ‘ _please don’t leave me alone’._ ” Itachi hesitated before continuing. “The look in his eyes…”

He went silent.  Kakashi pulled out his coveted _Icha Icha Paradise_.

“You know, Itachi-kun. Pity is the last thing that guy wants.”

Itachi continued walking.

“I know.” He replied after a long moment.

 


	2. Tired Old Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prerequisite #1 of getting Itachi to like you: you have to like his little brother.
> 
> Also, Naruto is terrible at information gathering.

Naruto twisted a long strand of hair in his fingers.

“My hair is _so red_.” He deadpanned.  Itachi smiled lightly while Kakashi rolled his eye.

“Did you somehow miss that in your twenty-four years of life?”

“What? No, I know it’s been red for a while now.  It’s just sometimes I’ll forget about it and _whoosh,_ there it is – A bunch of red stuff in my face. Once I thought my whole head was on fire and jumped into a river.”

“Sometimes I really wonder about you.”

“He has his moments.” Itachi agreed.  Betrayed, Naruto glowered at Itachi.

“In my defense, I was half asleep at the time and I was already planning on going in the river."

Itachi serenely took a sip of tea.

“Hmm, your apartment is awfully empty Itachi-kun.” Kakashi diverted.

“I only moved in last month.” Itachi poorly defended.

“I have a feeling your previous apartment was just as empty as this one. And you lived there for how long? Almost a year?” 

Itachi didn’t bother replying.

“At least get a TV. There’s an Icha Icha soap opera adaptation I’ve been wanting to watch, although I hear all the mature parts have been skipped over.” His hair and eye seemed to droop. 

“Yeah, you should get some houseplants or something. At my old place from when I was a kid I had tons of houseplants. They’re pretty good company.” Naruto advised, still tugging at his hair.

“You must have had a lonely childhood, Naruto-kun.” Kakashi dully noted.

“You have _no idea._ ” Naruto said halfheartedly. He turned to look at Itachi. “But hey, I thought the Uchihas had a district or something you all lived in. Why’d you move out?”

Itachi took another sip of tea before answering. His eyes were distant, but his face remained stoic.

“My clan has always maintained a distance from the general population of Konoha.” Itachi explained. “I don’t think that is the best mentality to have.  We are a part of Konoha and should be immersed in it in order to truly be able to understand it.”

“Oho, so you’re breaking away from the nest, trying to inspire others to get more involved in the community?”

“I don’t know about inspiring other people, but I know that it’s what I want for myself.”

“Maa, Itachi-kun.  I think you’re secretly an idealist.” Kakashi teased.  Naruto stifled a grin at Itachi’s dry look.

“I’m a little jealous, Itachi-san. You’re only seventeen, and you're so composed. When I was seventeen –“ Naruto made a face, “Well, let’s not talk about when I was seventeen.  But even at twenty-four, I feel like I’m being kicked downhill and off a cliff every time something comes up.”

“All the broken bones probably aren’t helping you there.”

“Ha ha ha.” Naruto glares.

Itachi set his cup of tea down and said, “At least neither of us are like Kakashi-san, comfortable enough to where reading porn in public is no issue at all.”

Naruto cackled at Kakashi’s expense.

“I won’t apologize for not hiding who I am.”

“Who? A giant raging pervert?”

“A man with fine taste in literature.”

Naruto chuckled as he let himself relax on the couch he was currently sprawled over, bound right leg propped up on some pillows.

“Thanks again for letting me stay over here, Itachi-san.  I’ve only been out of the hospital for a few hours and I already feel so much better.  My stupid leg will be healed in no time now!”

“I’m not sure that’s how healing works, Naruto-san.” Itachi said.

“Sure it is! I’ve never had an injury take as long to heal as these ones are. I’m willing to bet it’s because I was stuck in that place forever.”

“I’m willing to bet it’s because you nearly died and something’s wrong with your chakra.” Kakashi said. Naruto blew air and ignored him.  He traced the pattern inked on his right forearm.

“What does that do, anyways?” Kakashi asked. At Naruto’s confused look, Kakashi pointed at his arm. “The seal.”

“Oh, you noticed it’s a seal? Man, I thought I was being clever.”

“Well, it was actually Minato-sensei who noticed.  The only reason he hasn’t asked about it yet is because he’s been ‘discreetly’ trying to figure out what it is first.”

Naruto grinned and tapped the seal.

“I have large chakra reserves, so it’s really difficult for me to focus smaller concentrated amounts of chakra – so I came up with this thing. When it’s activated, it regulates the amount of chakra that gets released through my tenketsu points, allowing me to use more refined jutsu that I never could before. I didn’t want to run around with a giant seal just hanging on my arm, so I used a little creative license on the design.” Naruto laughed and added, “I was so terrible at focusing my chakra when I was a kid, I couldn’t even make a basic clone.”

“You seem to be very well learned in fuinjutsu, Naruto-san.” Itachi praised. “Did you learn from someone?”

“Hmm, well… I learned basic fuinjutsu from someone, yeah. After he… After we parted ways, I started studying it on my own.  Even went to Uzushio and was lucky enough to find some old scrolls locked away in a collapsed building that somehow managed to avoid being looted over the years.”

“Minato-sensei would bleed himself dry for those scrolls,” Kakashi said. “Please don’t tell him there might still be some in Uzushio or we may never see him again.” Naruto laughed lightly in response and closed his eyes.

Itachi, finished with his tea, rose from his seat and cleaned the remains of the takeout they brought back with them on the way from the hospital.  Kakashi pulled out his book instead of helping.

“What are you doing here anyway, Kakashi?” Naruto asked, one eye cracked open as he languorously stretched out on the couch even further.

“I’m not allowed to spend time with my friends?” Kakashi said. Naruto snorted. “If you must know, the Yondaime told me to help escort you in case you did something stupid. And now I’m comfortable where I am and I don’t feel like leaving yet.” Kakashi flipped to the next page.

“What, he thought I’d try to make a break for it? I won’t lie, the thought crossed my mind a few times over the past few days. He didn’t think Itachi-san would be able to stop me if I did?” Naruto asked skeptically, one eye still open.

“Oh, he knows Itachi would be able to stop you. He probably just figured the two of us being there would significantly discourage you from trying so you wouldn’t end up hurting yourself.”

“I could escape from you two if I wanted to, just watch and see!” He declared, sitting up suddenly at the imagined challenge.

“Does that mean you’re going to leave? I’ve just set up the guest room for you.” Itachi said, walking back into the living room despondently.

“Oh, that’s – no, no, no. I’m not going anywhere.” Naruto enthusiastically denied.

 _Ooh, Itachi is good at this_ , Kakashi thought approvingly. He sent his fellow jounin an impressed look – which went ignored.

“But really though, I know I’m not in the best condition right now. But I really will have to go when this is all gone,” he gestured to the cast. 

“You know, Naruto-kun, whatever it is you have to do out there, you don’t have to do it alone. I’d like to think you have a few friends here in Konoha now, we can help you if you need it.” Kakashi hinted for the Yondaime’s sake. Naruto frowned.

“It’s not something I’m sure I can talk about.” He said.

“It doesn’t involve Konoha, does it?” Kakashi asked, unusually direct. He set his book down as he calculated Naruto.

“What?” Naruto asked in confusion. Then it hit him. “Whaaat?! No, no, no! It’s not like I’m plotting to take over a village or something. I just need to take care of a few… things. Non-Konoha or other village things, I promise. Did you really think I was up to something…” He tried to think of a word he heard Shikamaru use before, “nefarious?”

“No,” he casually admitted while relaxing again. “But it never hurts to be sure.  I don’t like not having all the information about something, and there are more gaps in your history than history.”

“Yea, well, they’re going to stay gaps.” Naruto grumbled. Itachi frowned disapprovingly at Kakashi as Naruto closed up.  Kakashi held his hands up in defense, book safely tucked away in his pocket.

“Maa, I guess I used up my welcome for the day.” Kakashi stood up. “I can’t promise I’ll be here, but there is a very high chance Minato-sensei will be around tomorrow.” He foretold as he waved his hand in goodbye. “I’ll see you around.” He disappeared in a small puff of smoke.

Naruto grumbled some more. Itachi sat back down.

“Kakashi is stupid.” He grouched. Itachi smiled behind his refilled tea cup.

“Many people would disagree with you. I’m not one of them.”

Naruto grinned up at him while reclining further onto the couch. 

“I get it, though. Trying to protect the village, _I get it_ , really.” He bit out. He never thought anyone would ever have to consider him as a possible threat to Konoha.

 _I’m not from this Konoha – they don’t know that I love this village._ He thought as he watched a spider creep along the ceiling.

“It’s a bit more than that now.” Itachi admitted. “It’s been a long time since Yondaime-sama has put himself forward like this. Kakashi-san is worried that when you leave, it’ll have a negative effect on him.”

Naruto stayed quiet for a moment.

“I remind him of her, don’t I? Kushina-san…” Naruto trailed off, thinking of his mother. “What happened to her?”

Itachi stared down into his cup.

“No one really knows.” He answered. “That’s what hurts Yondaime-sama the most. She was left alone one afternoon and when the Yondaime came back, she was dead – no cause or explanation was ever found. He’s never forgiven himself for not being by her side that day, for not knowing that she was in danger.”

Naruto covered his eyes.  Behind closed eyes he saw a sewer, and heard a growl of a laugh – low and rumbling, rippling wakes breaking the stagnant water. He wondered what happened to Kurama.

“My friends,” Naruto began, “They’re all dead now.”

Itachi stilled – his usually impassive face uncertain.

“So I – I have to finish what we started. No matter what.”

“You don’t have to do it alone.” Itachi’s calm voice gently reassured.

Naruto shook slightly.

He thought about the Uchiha Itachi from his world, the Itachi who was always alone. A cog in a machine he never quite fit; forced in by a crooked hand, and greased out by years of warping.

“Don’t,” Naruto started, “Don’t let anyone get the better of you, Itachi-san. There are people in this world who would turn your idealism against you, turn you against yourself. You’re a good person, I know that. No one deserves what…” He stopped when he realized what he was saying.

Itachi, still sitting across from Naruto, was at a loss for words. The silence stretched.

“Sometimes… You can’t look me in the eye.” Itachi finally said, soft voice ringing like a bell in the silence. “You don’t seem to have that problem with anyone else.”

For the first time, Naruto truly recognized that he was older than Itachi. Seven years really is a long time for a shinobi. Itachi may be an extraordinarily skilled ninja, but when it comes to other people… he was just a teenager.

“Ack, sorry. You just – sometimes you remind me of someone.”

Quietly, Itachi asked, “Sasuke?”

Naruto looked up in surprise at the deduction. “At first.” He confessed. “Not anymore. You’re really nothing alike.” At Itachi’s uncertain look, he grinned wryly and added, “Trust me, that’s not a bad thing.”

Confused, Itachi asked, “Wasn’t he your friend?” His usual impassive face marred by furrowed brows and a slight frown.

“My best friend,” Naruto confirmed. “He was also the biggest asshole I’d ever met in my life. We deserved each other.” He said, sporting a watery smile. “I just don’t understand…” _Why did he do it? Why didn’t he try to save the both of us?_ “I don’t understand…”  He wiped away the tears that hadn’t quite left his eyes.

He saw Sasuke standing behind Itachi, staring mournfully at the brother he never got to have, his face too old and his eyes too tired.

“There are some things, Itachi-san, I think that we all have to do alone. Even if it’s stupid, even if it doesn’t make sense…”

Sasuke closed his eyes as a look of regret took purchase across a solemn face.

“Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?”

Sasuke disappeared as quietly as he appeared.

Naruto twisted a red strand of hair. Red, not blonde. “Hah, that’s the question, isn’t it?”

“Naruto-san…”

“I like it here,” he announced. “Everyone is nice, even that old hag. I just wish everyone else was able to be here too.”

“That you managed to make it here, Naruto-san, I’m sure they’re thankful for that.”

Naruto rubbed his face in futile effort to halt the escaping tears.

He laughed brokenly. “If the rumors are right – you saved my life, Itachi. I think you can drop the honorifics by now.”

He saw Itachi _– red eyed and donning his Akatsuki cloak_ – raise a finger at Naruto.

“Naruto…”

The sky bled crimson outside the window and the silhouette of a crow cautiously held a familiar eye in its beak. The eye watched Naruto.

“Thank you, Itachi. There’s still a lot I need to figure out, but I have time.  Not as much time as I’d like, but it’s more than I would have otherwise. – I’ve never been good at this.” Naruto tapped his head. “Thinking, I mean. I’ve always been a rush headfirst, handle things as they come type of guy. I’ve gotten a lot of grief for it over the years. But this time, I don’t think that’s going to cut it. I know it won’t.”

The crow swallowed the eye.

Itachi stood and walked over to Naruto, his eyes black and his face too young.

“It’s getting late – You have to be tired from moving around so much today.  I’ll help you to your room.”

As if on cue, the lines of exhaustion deepened on Naruto’s face.

“…Yeah. Thanks Itachi. Really, I mean it.”

Itachi smiled, it was a small but genuine smile. Naruto couldn’t remember the last time someone smiled at him so sincerely.

“You’re welcome.”

 

* * *

  

Minato showed up bright and early the next day.

Naruto blew a strand of hair out of his eyes, which he was still unable to force all the way open.

“Minato-saaan,” He whined monotonously. “It’s four in the morning.”

Sheepishly, Minato scratched his head.

“I know – I just finished my paperwork and I wanted to see how you were settling in. Sorry, I should have known you were sleeping.”

“You finished all that paperwork from just the afternoon?” Itachi asked doubtfully. He received a toothy grin and thumbs up in response. Something flashed through Naruto’s memory at the gesture, but he was unable to grasp it in his sleep addled state.

“I’m not called the Yellow Flash for nothing!” He laughed a bit too cheerfully.

Naruto gaped sleepily as Itachi nonchalantly took a sip of tea he pulled from somewhere, seemingly unruffled by the unexpectedly early arrival of the Hokage.

“So how are you doing, Naruto-kun? Itachi is a being a good host, right?”

“Well, I was doing great. Then I got woken up at four.”

Minato laughed nervously in response before sobering up.

“I’m sorry, I really should have thought that through before coming over here. I can see that you’re doing alright, so I guess I should take my leave – “

“Naaah, it’s too late. I’m awake now; I’ll never get back to sleep.” Naruto rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Thanks for checking in on me.  I feel a bit spoiled getting all this attention from the Hokage himself.”

The Yondaime smiled and settled back onto the couch.

“Even the Hokage needs to get out of the office sometimes,” He confided. “And you’re fun to talk to, so I’m not seeing a downside in visiting you.” He leaned forward towards Naruto, continuing in a whisper, “And I have an ulterior motive – Fuinjutsu.”

Naruto blinked before slowly asking, “Fuinjutsu?”

“Yes! Fuinjutsu!  Kakashi-kun ruined my fun and told me about what your seal does before I could figure it out.  But even before that I wanted to talk to you about fuinjutsu – you seem to have developed a very interesting style of it! Please teach me.” He begged, blue eyes pleading.

“Teach you? Uhh, well I’m not sure how good a teacher I am, and I really don’t know _that_ much – but I can show you a few interesting seals I’ve put together over the years. I doubt it’s anything too impressive,” Naruto said, uncharacteristically modest.  

“If what I’ve seen so far is any indication, you have a lot of skill!” Minato insisted. “And it’s so rare to find others with a passion for fuinjutsu these days; just being able to talk about it at length with someone is a pleasure. My sensei, Jiraiya, is the only one I can ever really get into it with, and he’s usually too busy looking up every skirt on the continent.” He sighed. “I taught Kakashi-kun fuinjutsu – and he picked it up very well, but he’s not interested enough to try and develop anything on his own.”

As if struck by genius, his head whipped to Itachi.

Itachi stared back dubiously.

“Itachi-kun!  You know some fuinjutsu, right?  Would you be interested in becoming my apprentice?  It would be great – I’ll teach you the Hiraishin, and all the tricky and more dangerous sealing techniques that don’t get taught in any books lying around – it’ll be great! Naruto-kun will be there too!” He insisted.

Naruto chuckled at Itachi’s ambivalent expression. 

“While I would never pass on an opportunity to learn more, don’t you have more pressing concerns at the moment, Hokage-sama? And I don’t believe Naruto has agreed to anything yet, either.”

Minato frowned.

“That’s not a no, right?”

Itachi sighed, “It’s not a no.”

Smugly, Minato turned to Naruto. Naruto stifled a laugh and shrugged.

“Alright, but I’m not calling you sensei.”

Minato gasped in faux-shock, “Of course not!  We’ll both be calling _you_ sensei!” 

Naruto nodded, “Yea, I like the sound of that. Naruto-sensei, Fuinjutsu Master Extraordinaire!” The Yondaime nodded excitedly in agreement, blonde hair whipping up and down.

“But really, I’m going to pick your brain forever about all the fuinjutsu you know. I hope you’re prepared.”

Naruto snorted and said, “ _You_ need to be prepared, I am undoubtedly the worst person in the world when it comes to explaining things. I tried to teach a few people a couple simple things before and I think they got _worse_.”

Minato’s eyes widened in empathy, “ _So you have the same problem!_ ”

Itachi made more tea.

 

* * *

 

 Naruto’s face stuck to the table he’d fallen asleep on as he was looking over some experimental seals the Yondaime had left for him earlier. The door to the apartment swung open.

“Nii-san, I’m home!” a young voice called out.

Naruto pried his face from the table, a large red imprint remaining. He stared at the entryway. A dark haired child with delicate features stared back. Those same delicate features instantly turned unfriendly and suspicious as he examined Naruto.  Naruto continued staring.

“Where is my brother and who are you?” a tiny Uchiha Sasuke demanded.  Naruto stared some more.

Frustrated, Sasuke raised his voice, “What are you staring at?”

Instinctively, Naruto pointed at Sasuke and shouted back, “Well, I’m not staring at your stupid face!”

Sasuke blinked in surprise and, broken from his trance, Naruto covered his mouth with both of his hands.

“ _My_ stupid face?  Your face is infinitely stupider than mine!” He retorted as only a child could, dark eyes narrowing.

Naruto kept his mouth covered, face turning white.

“Where’s my brother?” He asked again.

Naruto attempted to regain his composure and took a few deep breaths. Sasuke crossed his arms and glared.  Naruto opened his mouth a few times to say something, but nothing came out.

“ _Well?”_

“You’re short,” Naruto intelligently said.

“I’m _twelve_.” Sasuke seethed, face blotching red in ugly patches on his face.

“Oh, Sasuke, you’re here earlier than usual.” Itachi cut in, moving effortlessly through the open apartment door and around Sasuke with bags of groceries.

“Our classes ended early today. Chouji was hungry.” He distractedly explained, eyes never leaving the red-haired intruder. “Who is this guy and why is he in your apartment?”

Still stunned, Naruto weakly asked, “Chouji was hungry?”

Both Uchihas ignored him.

“Ah, I apologize, Naruto.  I should have told you my brother comes by fairly often after his classes at the academy.” Itachi placed a hand on top of Sasuke’s head. “This is Sasuke.  Sasuke, this is Uzumaki Naruto. He’s going to be staying here while he recovers from his injuries.” Itachi watched Naruto as he said Sasuke’s name. Naruto somehow managed to keep control over his face.

The shock probably helped.

“He’s staying here? Why isn’t he at his own place?” Sasuke asked forcefully, brushing his brother’s hand off his head.

“Naruto isn’t from Konoha. I offered to let him stay here so that he wouldn’t have to stay at the hospital.” He poked Sasuke’s forehead as he started walking towards the kitchen. 

Grimacing, but eyes still zeroed in on the intruder, he interrogated, “So what village are you from? Are you a jounin too?”

Naruto blinked several times in succession, rubbing the half of his face that was still creased from the table.

“I’m… I’m not?” He answered, still recovering. “From a village, I mean. I – I travel a lot.”

Sasuke glared in suspicion. He continued glaring as Itachi began filling the cupboards with food.

Naruto gaped back.

“Itachi, your brother is adorable.” Naruto said blankly. Sasuke bristled.

“He is.” Itachi agreed. Sasuke turned to look at his brother, affronted.

“I am _not_.” He argued. “And _you_ ,” he pointed at Naruto, “ _You_ should show some respect. Itachi-niisan is letting you stay here.  He’s the strongest ninja in the village, you know.”

“I thought the strongest ninja in the village was the Hokage?” Naruto said blandly, wondering if he was still asleep. Sasuke lowered his finger slightly, thinking it over.

“My brother could take him.”

Startled, Naruto laughed generously while Itachi looked disapprovingly at Sasuke.

“It’s true!” He argued, enraged further by Naruto’s laughter. “At the very least I know he could beat _you_.”

At least Sasuke being contrary was familiar.

Still snickering, Naruto managed, “That’s not hard to do.” _Right now_ , he added to himself. “But hey, that’s rude. I could be a _super_ strong ninja – you don’t know that.” It was surprisingly easy to fall into the banter, despite how loudly his mind was screaming at him.

Sasuke looked him over; slender, wearing a loose black shirt and a pair of Itachi’s loaned khaki shorts, unkempt red hair, dark circles around both eyes, covered in healed but still fading cuts, right leg wrapped up from the thigh to the toes.

He wasn’t impressed.

“I think _I_ could take you in a fight.” He declared. Naruto raised both brows, grinning unabashedly.

Now _this_ , this was familiar.

Naruto put his elbow down on the table and waved Sasuke over.

“How about arm wrestling instead of a fight? I’d feel bad if I beat up Itachi’s little brother while I was staying here.” Itachi glanced over in amusement from where he was setting out apples in a wooden bowl. “I’ll even let you use both arms against my one.” He wiggled his fingers.

Sasuke evaluated him while cautiously stalking over. Naruto didn’t have too much in the way of muscle, and he was still thin from his stint in the hospital.

Sasuke grabbed the offending hand and pushed down as hard as he could.

Nothing happened.

Sasuke pushed down again – Naruto’s arm remained in place. Angrily, he got up and grabbed Naruto’s arm with both hands and pulled, one foot pushing against the ledge of the table.

Naruto yawned.

Red faced he accused, “You’re using chakra.”

“Chakra? What’s that? Is that some kind of ninja thing?” He snickered childishly as Sasuke sputtered. “What, haven’t you learned how to concentrate your chakra yet?”

“They start learning how to concentrate it to that extent once they’ve become genin.” Itachi explained from where he was… sorting carrots by size?

“Ooho! So the cute little Sasuke-chan isn’t even a genin yet?” He cooed, batting his eyes at the mini-Sasuke.

Sasuke was breathing fire.

“I would be already if there wasn’t a graduation minimum age requirement now! Just wait! I’ll be stronger than my brother after a couple years!”

Naruto started to think he actually _was_ breathing fire when he noticed a dramatic increase in room temperature.

“Oho, Sasuke-chan has a brother complex.” He teased. “Seriously – too adorable. Itachi, I might steal him from you.”

“I’d rather not have to fight you.” Itachi warned.  Naruto laughed.

“ _I’ll_ fight him.” Sasuke proclaimed, still glaring ardently.

 _This is how it should have been_ , Naruto suddenly thought as he looked over Sasuke.  He wore the same irritated expression he always did when Naruto was around, but there was something lighter about him.  There was no pain in his eyes. He was just a kid.

 _This is why I came here_. _To keep them like this. To keep everyone like this._

“Why are you smiling, you idiot?!” Sasuke hollered.  When Naruto continued smiling obliviously, Sasuke picked up a dry inkwell from the desk and threw it at Naruto’s forehead. It bounced off harmlessly.

Rubbing his forehead, Naruto brightly said, “Oh, it’s just that you remind me of someone.” At Sasuke’s bewildered expression, Naruto smiled slyly at Itachi and added, “It’s not really a good thing.”

Itachi smiled fondly.

Sasuke scowled.

 

* * *

  

About four years ago, Naruto broke his left arm in two places.  He was running a mission with Gaara when it happened. 

Neither of them had the slightest bit of training in medical ninjutsu. 

Gaara, the Kazekage of a village long erased by the unforgiving sands of the desert watched with worry as his friend flailed excessively after they managed to stave off their attackers.

“Gaaaaara, I can see the bone. No one should ever have to see their own bones – it’s gross.”  Gaara nodded in agreement as he inspected the ripped flesh with tired eyes.

He tore a long scrap of cloth from his traveling robes.

“This is almost as bad as when Lee broke his foot. Sakura-chan looked ready to cut the whole thing off, it was so bad.” He prattled thoughtlessly. “I suppose the fact that it was barely hanging on to begin with didn’t help. Sakura-chan is a miracle worker though. Tsunade-baachan is out there somewhere being proud as hell.”

No one ever confirmed Tsunade’s death in the Siege of Kirigakure. In despite of the fact that there was exactly zero chance she survived, she was always spoken of as if she was still alive and making her way back to her people. In the face of constant loss, everyone was kind enough to go along with it.

Gaara held Naruto’s arm, ignoring the flinch Naruto gave at the contact. Naruto brushed his red hair out of his face with an equally red hand, the blood blending in seamlessly.

“I’m going to need a haircut soon; I don’t know how people can stand long hair. Even at this length it’s driving me insane. But the last time I cut my hair I kept getting mistaken for you at a distance.  I guess red hair is sort of your signature, isn’t it?  Neither of us are incredibly tall either, which doesn’t help much in telling us apart. I’m not sure how they miss the gourd, though. That seems like a pretty obvious dis – FUCK.” Naruto let out a string of curses as Gaara wrapped his arm in cloth and forced his bones back into place with a firm twist of his sand.

“Fuckin’ OW. Damn it. Seriously, never again. I’m taking a lesson from you and being a long range fighter from now on.”

Gaara examined his work and begrudgingly rewrapped Naruto’s arm.  He used his sand as a makeshift cast over the bandages.

“You enjoy punching people too much. Even if you started focusing your skills on long range jutsu, the occasional urge to needlessly hit someone in the face would overcome you.” Gaara replied, voice as dry as the sand he controlled.

Naruto guffawed through the pain.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I have a problem, I’ll admit it.” He scanned the area and jerked his head north. “We should keep heading north for the day, then when we can be sure they’ve lost us we can start heading back west. I’ll send some clones out to mess with their tracking too.”

Gaara nodded in agreement. He gazed out in the distance, his eyes seeming to trail something Naruto couldn’t see.

The sharp smell of ozone was caught in the air, indicating an approaching storm.

There were no clouds.

“Naruto.” Gaara said uncertainly while Naruto was checking their inventory, his deep voice somehow managing to pierce through the sudden gusts of wind. “You need to be more careful.”

Naruto looked up from a weapons scroll.

“You’ve been badly injured a significant number of times since the extraction.  You don’t heal as quickly anymore and even after you have healed, it’s not the same as the Kyuubi’s healing.  You have scars now, Naruto.  On your skin as well as in your bones.”

They let a small silence linger as Naruto continued to rustle through the scrolls.

“You’re right.  I’ve been stupid.” Distraught, he stuffed the scrolls back into their pouch. “I’ve been stupid and I have no excuse for it. It’s been a year since I’ve lost Kurama, I should have adjusted by now.”

“Sometimes I… Sometimes I still hear her voice. Shukaku’s.” Gaara quietly confided. “When I try to sleep – She’s still fighting me, even now. Even though she’s been gone for so long.” He made eye contact with Naruto and looked at him with sorrow. “Sometimes I even miss her, because when she was with me – in the worst way possible – I knew I wasn’t alone.” Naruto regarded Gaara with sorrowful eyes. The wind howled faintly around them.

“Sometimes I don’t feel real.” Naruto admitted, eyes focused on his bloodstained hands. “Everything seems too vivid now – like when you’re dreaming and everything is too bright and happens too fast.  Before… I couldn’t feel all these things I can feel now. As if there was a barrier trying to block me from the world. Sometimes… I think I’m still asleep.” He stared past the yellow rolling hills of the veldt they stood in, beginning to see something that wasn’t there. “Sorry, I’m not making much sense.”

Gaara shifted the sand that was a literal barrier over his skin and said, “I understand. More than I want to.”

Naruto looked into Gaara’s sleepless eyes – and the guilt engulfed him.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to understand what you’ve been through.”

Gaara shook his head, short hair rustling softly in the breeze – a kindling fire against the deep blue backdrop of the sky.

“I wish you never had to understand.”

Naruto remembered that day with a clarity that astounded him.  He remembered the smell of blood as it stained his shredded arm, the hollowed look in Gaara’s perceptive eyes, the subtle shifting of sand as it moved across Gaara’s skin, the sharp _crack_ of bone as it was set.

He remembered that day as he looked down at the cast binding his leg as he sat in the hospital, not listening to Tsunade talk about his condition.

“Brat, are you even paying attention to me?”

 _Not really_ , he didn’t say.

He thought of the last time he saw Gaara; arm outstretched, face set in a rare expression of shock as he lashed out with his sand, obstructing Naruto’s final view of him.

Tsunade frowned at the unusually subdued redhead. She turned to Itachi for an explanation. He shrugged helplessly, frowning.

Naruto had been lost in his thoughts all day, despite Itachi’s efforts. Even Sasuke’s persistent badgering before he went to the academy hadn’t managed to get anything out of him except for a sad smile. If anything, it seemed to send him further into the recesses of his mind.

Somehow, Tsunade seemed to understand. Her expression mellowed briefly before hardening again.

“Hey!” She snapped. “Unless you want a cracked head to match your leg, you’ll start listening to me right now!”

Naruto turned his head up, but stubbornly kept his eyes away from her.

Gaara stood at the window behind her, back turned to Naruto.

“Your chakra. Something is wrong with it.” She started explaining again for what seemed to be the hundredth time that hour. “This would be a huge concern to most people, but you don’t seem to care – Implying that you know what’s wrong with you and don’t seem to want to share.”

Naruto’s head dropped back down again as Gaara turned slightly to look at Tsunade with concern.

Naruto didn’t want to see his face.

“Yea, I know what’s wrong.” He finally replied.

Impatiently, Tsunade tapped her foot. “Well, what is it? The sooner I know, the sooner I can fix it.”

“I don’t want to share.” He disdainfully answered in parody of her earlier words.

She threw her fist down on the desk she was leaning against, the force creating a splintering crack straight down through the solid wood.

“Listen, Kid. You’ve been through a lot, I know.  But this problem with your chakra might affect your very life.  Do you understand that?” Her fingers twitched as if to reach for something. Naruto figured it was either for her sake or his neck.

Naruto didn’t answer.

“Tsunade-sama, perhaps today isn’t the best time for this.” Itachi intervened. “We’ll come back tomorrow.”

Tsunade sighed, a complex emotion flickering through her eyes.

“Fine. Tomorrow – no excuses. We’ve got to figure this out before it gets worse – and it’s getting worse, isn’t it kid?” She didn’t bother waiting for a response as she spun on a heel and stormed out of the room, blonde pigtails whipping out behind her like lightning in a downpour.

Naruto thought about Tsunade, Strength of a Hundred seal activated as she tore through a horde of dead men, as invulnerable to their attacks as they were to hers.

 _Chakra runs out_ , he thought. _Hers did_. _Mine will too._

A familiar weight landed on Naruto’s shoulder, and he looked up to find Itachi squatting down at his level. His face showed betrayed no emotion as he looked Naruto in the eyes, the grip he had on Naruto’s shoulder steady.

“I’ve been told that thinking too much is a bad habit to have. Thinking a lot is one thing – but thinking too much will create problems that never existed to begin with.  My mother often tells me this when she feels I’ve become too distant.”

Naruto looked down.

“I don’t know how to stop.” Naruto quietly admitted. “I try not to think at all. Just – block it all out, keep it away. But then I’ll see or hear something and…” He wrung his hands together. Itachi moved his hand from Naruto’s shoulder to grab one of his worried hands.

“The past will always find ways to worm out. Pretending it’s not there will only make it struggle harder, creating more pain when it breaks free.” Itachi gently clasped Naruto’s hand in his own before letting go. He stood up, looking far too young in his casual clothing to be speaking such words.

Naruto wondered what Itachi went through in this world to become so wise.

“You’re thinking again,” Itachi pointed out. Naruto blinked in confusion.

“Didn’t you just tell me to think?”

“I told you to think, but not too much. There’s a difference.” Itachi said, the beginnings of a grin showing.

Naruto squinted.

“How do I know when too much is?”

“When you start insulting someone who can punch a hole through you with her pinky finger.”

“Ah.” Naruto said.

“Ah, indeed.”

“Maybe I should apologize to her.”

“Maybe tomorrow.”

“Yeah, maybe tomorrow.”

 

* * *

 

 _Tomorrow_ didn’t go so well either, although for different reasons.

“She just needs to believe me when I say I’m fine!  My chakra’s been messed up for years now, I’m not on the verge of dying.” Naruto complained.  “It doesn’t get like this very often and it pretty much goes back to normal after a few days.”

 _Although being forced to use an incomplete space-time seal didn’t help matters much,_ he thought.

The Yondaime sighed as Naruto hobbled over to the window, crutches left behind.

“From what I hear, the fact your chakra gets like that at all is what she’s concerned about. She said you won’t tell her what happened to you?”

“It’s nobody’s business but my own.”

Minato remained silent.

“Do you know for certain that it won’t affect your overall health?”

“Yes, I know for certain. I’ve been looked at before. All that can be done _has_ been done, believe it.”

“Alright, I’ll talk to her about dropping the issue.” A chill ran through Minato’s spine as he thought about how that conversation would go.

“This cast has gotta go too. I’ll be fine as long as I don’t put too much pressure on it – _the itching is driving me nuts_.” Not one to waste time, he grabbed a kunai that had been embedded in the wall at some point and stabbed it into the cast. Minato winced as he belatedly stood up in effort to stop Naruto. The cast fell off in two long pieces.

Naruto immediately started scratching his leg, which by all appearances seemed to be in perfect condition with the exception of some discoloration caused by the cast itself. Minato stared in disbelief.

“You were only released from the hospital _a few days ago_.”

Naruto slapped the seal on his forearm.

“This helps me regulate my chakra, remember? I’m no mednin, but focusing raw chakra in one area for prolonged periods of time speeds up the healing process a lot.”

“That’s – that’s very useful. It helps you focus your chakra to that extent?”

Naruto nodded. “Every time I tried to do it at the hospital, Baachan would storm in telling me to _‘stop using your chakra so soon after it’s started reforming on its own!.’_ ” He mimicked.

Minato laughed nervously.

“Should you be…?”

“Its fine,” Naruto dismissed. “I should be at a hundred percent within the next few days now.”

“You’re still planning to leave.” The Yondaime concluded with Naruto’s determined gaze.

“I have to.” He said resolutely. 

Minato sat back in his chair and tapped his fingers on his desk.  He thought he would have more time.

“There is… something I could use some help with, though.” Naruto hesitated.

Seeing his chance, Minato latched onto it. “Anything within reason, I’ll do what I can.”

Naruto stepped gingerly to the chair across from the Hokage. “There are some things that I don’t remember clearly.” Naruto lied.

Surprised, Minato asked, “You have amnesia?”

“No, no. Not exactly. Just – some details I should know aren’t there anymore.” Naruto tried.

“…isn’t that amnesia?”

Naruto thought about it and obligingly shrugged. “Yea, I guess.”

Amused, Minato asked, “So what did you forget?”

Naruto tried to think of something not too incriminating to ask that he could use to put the other pieces together himself. “Have you heard of the Akatsuki?”

The Yondaime leaned forward on his desk, thinking.

“Akatsuki… No, I’m sorry. That word doesn’t mean anything to me.”

Naruto blinked and stared at the floor in frustration. “Alright, what about Amegakure?”

“Amegakure? That’s an awfully broad subject. It’s a hidden village Konoha has had a good relationship with ever since Yahiko-san defeated Hanzo of the Salamander several years ago.  They’re _really_ big on commerce and developing inter-village relationships.  I think most of the televisions and radios on the continent are produced there – Are you alright?” Minato interrupted himself as he noticed Naruto’s slack jawed expression.

“Did – did you just say Yahiko… defeated Hanzo?”

“Yes, it was maybe 15 years ago now? He’s recognized as the leader of Amegakure along with his wife Konan-san. They’re also both former students of my sensei, Jiraiya. Nagato-san as well, although he passed away not long ago due to an illness he’s had since childhood.” He paused. “Is there something about Amegakure that concerns you?”

Naruto sat back, speechless.

This world was a _very_ different place. He would have to be more direct if he wanted the information he was looking for. Asking Minato directly about his supposedly deceased student, Uchiha Obito, was bound to raise some serious questions and asking Itachi about Madara _might_ be safer than asking the Hokage himself if he could find a non-suspicious way to bring it up. And there was Orochimaru…

Naruto gave a poorly feigned laugh and tried another route.

Shikamaru stood tall beside the Hokage, eyes narrowed with expectation.

_The truth makes the best lie, the truth makes the best lie…_

“I must have had a really crazy dream while I was out. The Akatsuki was an organization of S-class missing nin based out of Amegakure, led indirectly by Uchiha Madara, _and_ they were trying to take over the world by collecting all of the bijuu. But they failed and then there were a lot of zombies, somehow. _Lots_ of zombies. And super powered genjutsu that could affect everyone in the world at once.” 

He very belatedly covered his mouth.

Naruto was really just awful at this.  He tried not to cringe. Why did he say all of that? Why did he say _any_ of that?

No wonder no one ever let him go on undercover missions.

_Shikamaru, you bastard. Your advice is supposed to be good._

Shikamaru shook his head and sighed in irritation as he lazily vanished.

Minato stared blankly at him for a long minute while Naruto fidgeted uncomfortably.

“That would make a really good movie.” He said, completely serious. “I mean you’d have to change the Uchiha Madara part unless you want the Uchiha Clan out for your blood – and the part about the bijuu would probably have to be changed up a bit since the Jinchurinkis of the world might not really like the implication of being hunted, even in a fictional setting – But wow, I can really see the makings of a great plot in there.  Hey –“ he gestured excitedly, “you should write a book!”

Naruto was always told he took after his mother more than his father in everything except appearance. He suddenly really hoped that was true.

“I’m terrible at writing,” he rejected, slightly dazed.

_I sum up a few of the most traumatic events in my life and I get told to write a book._

“But still, you thought all that up in a dream? Did you think it was real when you woke up?”

“Huh? Well, uh. Maybe.” Naruto looked around shiftily. Minato watched him carefully.

“Naruto-kun… do you actually remember what happened to you when you were attacked?” He carefully treaded. Naruto stiffened.

“I know what happened.” he quickly confirmed. The Yondaime nodded.

“I don’t like to pry into other people’s business, Naruto-kun, I want you to know that.  But at the same time, I want to help you. And I can’t do that if you don’t tell me who attacked you – and why.” He sat up in his chair, keeping eye contact with Naruto. “I’m not going to press the issue, but can you at least answer one question for me?”

Naruto hesitated.

“I guess it depends on the question?” he answered doubtfully.

“Are you in danger?” The Yondaime asked before amending his question. “I mean is there someone targeting you specifically?”

Expecting something more revealing, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief.

“No. I –“

‘ _While being questioned by an ally you don’t want to reveal everything to, answer concisely – or not at all if you can get away with it’_ Kakashi-sensei once explained to Naruto. _‘People have a tendency to create their own truths. Give them a bone, they’ll dig up other pieces that look like they fit. Don’t contradict them when they do.’_

“I promise.” Naruto finished sincerely.

Minato breathed a sigh of relief.

“That’s good, I’ve really been worried about that to tell you the truth.” He said. “Sometimes you get really on guard, as if you’re expecting someone to attack you – Ah.” Minato cut himself off. “I’m so sorry, that was incredibly insensitive of me.  After what happened, of course you’d react like that. Even I was like that for quite some time after several missions in the Third Shinobi War.” He said apologetically.

Naruto grinned bitterly, more teeth than smile.

“I’m sorry too. After everything you’ve done for me, what all of you have done for me… I’ve been very selfish. But I’ll have to keep being selfish.”

The Yondaime looked regretfully at a framed photo on his desk of Kushina and himself.  They’d just discovered Kushina’s pregnancy when it was taken, years ago. Their overjoyed faces brimmed with excitement and high expectations of their future together. Minato brought the photo closer to him, delicately moving his hand over Kushina’s delighted visage.

“I suppose we’re alike, you and I. I’ve been selfish too.” He didn’t elaborate. “One more question – if you don’t mind. Will you come back?”

Naruto stopped breathing. His heart beat faster in protest of the loss of oxygen as he looked back at Minato – his _father_ – in dismay.

“If I am able to –” he shakily said, “If I am able to return to Konoha after I complete my mission – There is nowhere else I would rather be.”

“I’ll be expecting you, then.” Minato smiled sadly, his fair features and familiar blue eyes making him look vulnerable in a way that was unfitting of one of the strongest ninja alive.

Naruto looked at the back of the frame the Yondaime was holding, an inkling of who the photograph was of.

“I will use everything I have in me to make it back here.” Naruto swore, mostly to himself.

Later, after Itachi returned with Kakashi (who’d dragged Itachi out of the Hokage’s office to ‘show him something’) and went back to his apartment with Naruto, Minato was still thinking over his conversation with Naruto.

“Sensei, you haven’t put this much thought into something since the time Konohamaru-kun painted your monument’s face blue instead of yellow.” Kakashi drawled from where he was reading his book.

“Blue was a surprisingly good look on me,” Minato answered airily. He tapped a brush against his desk, spilling ink on a document he hadn’t bothered reading. 

“Hatake Kakashi.” He said suddenly, all informality lost. Kakashi stood at attention. “I need you to look into a few things for me – discreetly.” 

 

* * *

 

Itachi and Sasuke stared with twin looks of disapproval at Naruto. He was almost certain Sasuke was only doing it because Itachi was.

“I told you, my leg is fine. I spent the past two days focusing my chakra there so it would heal.”

“When you climbed the single flight of stairs up to my apartment, you cried.” Itachi stated matter-of-factly.

“And your leg looks two times fatter than it should be.” Sasuke chipped in. He squinted. “And sort of purple.”

“Why are you even here, you little punk? Don’t you live with your parents?” Naruto grouched.

“I can’t leave Itachi-niisan with _you_.” He said, scoffing at Naruto. They glared at each other.

“And Tsunade-sama explicitly told you the day you were excused from the hospital not to use your chakra.” Itachi lectured, somehow sounding even more disapproving.  

“She didn’t say _not_ to use my chakra. She said to keep my chakra use at the minimum.” He peevishly contradicted. “And stop using your big brother ‘I-Am-Disappointed’ look on me.” Itachi continued staring disapprovingly. Sasuke, who’d been briefly distracted by something in the kitchen noticed he’d missed the beginnings of a new stare-off and joined in with a determined glare.

After Naruto woke up in the hospital and started seeing Itachi regularly, he subconsciously knew that meant he’d see Sasuke eventually.  He chose to ignore the fact.

Denial was a great place. Really, it was.

When Sasuke appeared so suddenly at Itachi’s apartment, Naruto didn’t know what to do – Cry? Introduce himself? – there wasn’t really an answer. Nothing was ever that simple between the two of them.  The emotions boiled over inside of him until they were too much to handle, causing him to act on instinct – which apparently meant immediately offending Sasuke.

He still didn’t really know what to do around Sasuke.  The reminder of what he lost licked the back of his mind when he saw him; at the same time, something settled. This Sasuke was so unbelievably different than Naruto’s best friend. Innocent and childish – things his Sasuke never allowed himself to be.  He was also somehow very similar at his core.  Single-mindedly determined, jealous, fearless – Naruto could feel the fire in him, waiting to be released.  He’d become a powerful shinobi someday, Naruto knew that. 

But ultimately, he wasn’t his Sasuke at all. He was a complete brat, spoiled _relentlessly_ by his older brother.

Naruto glared back at Sasuke, who was significantly easier to defeat in a glare-off than Itachi. 

Sasuke never went home after finding his brother’s apartment occupied by someone other than Itachi. He stayed the night, sleeping on the couch since his usual room was taken over by Naruto.  He almost skipped the academy the following day as well, claiming he didn’t want Naruto to ‘try anything funny’ on Itachi.  Naruto wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but he took comfort in the knowledge that he was pretty sure Sasuke didn’t either.

Naruto snapped back to attention when Itachi placed a cup of tea in front of him.  Sasuke was still persistent in holding his glare, despite his opponent’s inattention.

“So your leg is going to be completely back to normal in a few days.” Itachi stated. Naruto smiled brightly.

“Yup! Then you’ll be able to get rid of me.”

“ _I_ can get rid of you right _now_.” Sasuke threatened. Naruto rolled his eyes.

“Where will you go after you heal?” Itachi asked.

Naruto pondered the question before answering, “There are still a few things I need to figure out.”

Itachi stared down into his tea.

Hesitantly, Itachi asked, “Are you leaving to take revenge for your group?”

The word revenge, especially coming from an Uchiha, disturbed Naruto.

“Revenge…” he drawled, the word leaving a sour taste in his mouth.

Intrigued, Sasuke examined Naruto. Socially stunted as he was, he never asked how Naruto got his injuries and no one ever told him.

“This isn’t about revenge.” Naruto tried to explain. “There’s something… I need to stop from happening. I just need to do one small thing, and the worst of it can be avoided. I think.” He said, thinking about the Rinnegan.  He froze. _The Rinnegan_. Minato said that Nagato was dead – did that mean…

“‘The worst of it?’ “ Itachi asked, but Naruto wasn’t listening.

“Sorry Itachi, but I feel really sick all of a sudden. Maybe you were right and I shouldn’t have used so much chakra to heal myself.” Trembling, he stood up from the table and began limping back to Itachi’s guest room. “I’m going to sleep early; I’ll see you in the morning.”

If either Uchiha said anything, Naruto didn’t hear it.

If Nagato was dead, did that mean the Rinnegan were destroyed? Did Nagato ever get the Rinnegan in this dimension?

Was Madara even trying to force his brand of ‘peace’ onto the world?

And Orochimaru, ultimately the catalyst of how things ended so badly – Where was he in this dimension?

Naruto’s head spun. He didn’t have the information he needed. The entire point of the space-time seal was to use their knowledge to save the world.  How could he do that in a world that didn’t share the same history? 

Naruto stared blankly at nothing.

He couldn’t.

 


	3. The World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kakashi has daddy issues and Naruto has all of the issues.

Dark eyes meticulously scanned the fatigued redhead before settling back on the fire he sat around with a small group of people. They were all packed together, the winter night stealing ever last wick of warmth it could from their bodies. Naruto cradled his head in his hands, unable to face his friends.

Sobbing could be heard from his left.

“This brings our group down to thirteen. Let’s hope Group B is doing better than we are.” Inuzuka Kiba’s voice growled through the camp.

They would later discover Group B had been eradicated weeks ago.

Naruto slumped down further, trying to distance himself physically and mentally. Sasuke remained a solid weight against his side. 

The echo of a grotesque howl could be heard in the distance.

“Fuckin’ damn it all to hell.” Kiba cursed.

“Kiba-kun…” Maito Gai began to reprimand. The mood was too heavy even for him to break. He sighed and dropped his eyes.

The scent of rotting flesh fouled the air.

The sobbing grew more hysterical.

“I-if only… If only w-we could go back in time,” Yamanaka Ino sobbed. “W-we could fix everything. We could… we could s-save everyone.  Save S-Sai.” Not for the last time, her usual beautiful face was stained by tears tracks, her fair complexion filthy with dirt and her remaining eye sunken and resentful.

She continued sobbing, a broken – _ugly_ – sound.

The fire cracked in the night, louder than fireworks amidst the falling snow.

“We could.” A low voice said.

Eleven members of the group turned to stare at Uchiha Sasuke.

“We could _what,_ Uchiha.” Kiba spat.

“Go back in time.” He said succinctly. He looked at Naruto, hunkered down at his side. “Isn’t that right, Naruto?”

Naruto slowly looked up.

His eyes burned with rage.

 

* * *

 

Naruto methodically drummed out a rhythm on the table with a pair of chopsticks. Itachi looked up from the scroll he was reading on the couch.

“You’ve been thinking too much again.” He politely warned. “You’re too quiet this morning. What’s on your mind?”

Naruto’s drumming came to a halt.

“Itachi-kun, can I look at your bingo book?”

Itachi set his scroll down with a loud thump.

“My bingo book? Why would you want to see that?” He asked as a calculating interest sparked his eyes. 

“Maybe I want to know the faces of the people I need to run away from?” Naruto tried. Itachi stared back, eyebrow raised. “Hey, at least I’m asking. I could just snoop around until I find it on my own.” Naruto crossed his arms defensively.

Itachi pulled the small book out of his pocket.

“That would have been an interesting search.” He smirked as he tossed the book over.

Naruto snorted as he caught the book, hastily opening it to the section with S-Rank missing nin. There were some familiar names – Hoshigaki Kisame, Hidan, Kakuzu, Sasori, and a few people he didn’t recognize. Noticeably missing were Itachi and Orochimaru.

Naruto chewed on his lip. Itachi walked over to see what he was looking at.

“S-Rank missing nin? Please tell me you’re not thinking about going after one of them.”

Naruto forced a nasally laugh.

“No? Why would I do that?” Itachi looked him over in suspicion. “Really, no, I’m not. I was just wondering about something.”

“Naruto…”

“Ah, don’t look at me like that, I’m serious. I was just checking something.” He insisted.

Itachi sat down beside Naruto at the table.  “Were the people who attacked you...?”

“In the bingo book?” Naruto finished. “No, I don’t think so. Well, some of them might have been at some point.” Naruto said thoughtlessly. He drew his brows together at his mistake.

Itachi didn’t say anything about the slip up, but he was definitely paying attention if the rapt gaze he locked on Naruto’s face was any indication. Naruto wondered nervously exactly just how much he’s let slip so far. He’s hardly the best person at keeping secrets.

What would even happen if someone found out the truth?

_‘Oh, you’re my little brother’s best friend from a future alternate dimension where pretty much everyone in the world is dead? Well, that explains a lot.’_

Somehow Naruto doubted that would be the reaction he’d get, even if he _wanted_ to tell people about where he came from.

 _I hope I don’t talk in my sleep, Itachi probably hears_ everything _. He mysteriously knew that I loved ramen. Is he using some Sharingan mind trick on me?_

Naruto eyed Itachi suspiciously.

“Stop trying to figure me out,” he said, leaning in toward Itachi and jabbing him with a finger. “Taking advantage of my inability to shut up – are you a shinobi or what?”

Indulging Naruto, Itachi teased back, “It took you this long to figure out I’m a shinobi? I knew you weren’t the most observant person, but you _are_ in a ninja village.”

Naruto huffed. “Yea, yea. You’re a big shot jounin.” He said while rolling his eyes. “However! You’ll only earn my respect if you surpass me in fuinjutsu!”

Itachi hummed to himself. “I could use a genjutsu to make you think I was better at fuinjutsu?”

“That’s _cheating_.”

“It’s only cheating if you get caught.” He quipped.

“ _You would definitely get caught.”_

“I don’t know, I’m pretty good at genjutsu.”

“Yeah, well… I’m pretty good at _avoiding_ genjutsu.”

“Somehow, I can actually believe that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“You _totally_ meant something by it.”

Itachi shrugged, not bothering to hide his amusement. Naruto stared down his nose at Itachi.

“You should be kind to your elders. I’m more experienced and _way more_ wise than you are. Maybe someday I’ll teach you to be as incredibly awesome as me.”

“Ah, I apologize, Ojii-san. I thought sharing my house, food and clothes was enough. Clearly I was mistaken and need to amend my ways.” An idea seemed to cross Itachi’s mind as he leaned forward towards Naruto, but he seemed to let it pass as he paused and leaned back in his chair.

Naruto snorted and said, “Please don’t be any nicer to me. I think Sasuke is matching your niceness in nastiness. I found a note on an instant ramen cup this morning that said ‘This is poisoned. So are the other ones. I hope you grabbed this cup last.’”

He did grab it last.

Itachi slapped his hand over an eye. “He’s very, ah, protective?”

“He’s a jealous little monster is what he is. Man, you two have the ultimate brother complex going on. It’s kind of adorable.”

Itachi smiled and looked at Naruto, one eye still covered. His long hair fell over his shoulder as he leaned forward on the table, uncommonly relaxed.  For the first time, Naruto consciously noticed he was a handsome guy.

 _He must be popular with the girls_ , Naruto thought sourly. _Damn Uchiha and their stupid pretty-boy genes._

“Tomorrow would you like to come with me to eat dinner at my family’s house?”

Naruto blanched at the sudden invitation.

“Uh, I really wouldn’t want to intrude…”

Itachi shook his head. “It’s no intrusion. My parents would be thrilled to see that I have friends.”

Naruto’s heart warmed at the term. He grinned slyly at Itachi while keeping his emotions in check. “So even you have those kinds of problems. And pfft – I bet you have tons of friends! Like… Kakashi!”

Itachi gave a brief huff of laughter, his eyes rolling up briefly. “I’m not sure Kakashi-san and I would classify each other as ‘friends’.”

“Hmm, really? I could have sworn…” Naruto frowned while thinking to himself. “I’m a way better friend than Bakashi anyway! You have good taste, Itachi.”

Itachi’s stare became distant, but his smile remained friendly.

“So how about it? Tomorrow night?”

“They’re not going to poison my food are they?”

Itachi choked slightly before answering, “No. You’re not going to have to worry about anything like that. Even Sasuke will behave himself.”

Naruto’s eyes brightened. “Ooh, so Sasuke-chan will be there too, eh? Heh, heh, heh.”

“You’re not going to embarrass him in front of our parents, are you?”

“Who, me? I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he shifted his eyes as he spoke.

Itachi leaned back in his chair as a wide smile took over his face.

“Maa, Itachi-kun can do real smiles? I thought that was a just a horrifying rumor. I may have to gouge my remaining eye out to get rid of the image.” Kakashi said from where he was perched at the open window. He gracefully leapt down and waved a lazy hand at Naruto. “Yo.”

Itachi’s face reverted to expressionless so quickly, Naruto was afraid he’d have whiplash. He squinted at Itachi to make sure he was alright.

“If you wanted to gouge your brain out instead, I wouldn’t discourage it. In fact, I might even offer to do it myself.” Itachi said coolly. Naruto sputtered in laughter at the unnaturally sudden dichotomy of personality.

Kakashi made a gesture of feigned hurt and sat down at the table across from Naruto.

“Well, it’s good to see the both of you doing so well. The Yondaime told me about your dramatic recovery after you left the other day.” He eyed Naruto with a tilted head and casually mentioned, “Tsunade-san heard too.”

Naruto threw his head back and chuckled nervously, raking a hand through his hair.

“So what have you been up to Kakashi? We haven’t seen too much of you over the past few days.” Naruto quickly diverted. Kakashi closed his eye and rubbed his temple wearily.

“A simple delivery mission gone wrong. I only got back yesterday morning.” He explained. A flash of concern swept through Naruto’s features. Itachi’s stare remained unsympathetic.

“Is everything alright?”

Kakashi grunted, visible eye twitching with annoyance. “My partner for the mission had an interesting run in with another village’s team of ninja who thought we were trying to run interference with their mission. Before we could settle anything, one of theirs started rapping at us.”

“…rapping?” Itachi repeated skeptically. Kakashi sighed.

“Gai decided it was an excellent way to settle the misunderstanding and thus a very energetic rap battle ensued. Gai lost, but it was several hours before he realized the _springtime of youth_ was stronger in his opponent and conceded defeat. By then, the rest of us had already figured out what was going on.”

Naruto snickered, knowing all too well the eccentric personalities of both Maito Gai and who he figured was probably Killer B.

“This morning,” Kakashi continued, “Gai broke into my apartment and instead of challenging me to something mundanely stupid as always, he started rapping at me about how excited he was for the upcoming academy graduation while insisting he felt this was the time I’d finally keep a genin team.”

“Could we,” Naruto snickered again, “Could we maybe hear a line or two of exactly what he said?”

“No.” Kakashi replied flatly. Naruto tried not to look disappointed.

“Is there a reason you decided to stop by, Kakashi-san?” Itachi asked pointedly. Kakashi looked between the two of them briefly and settled on contemplating Itachi in amusement. 

“Not really.”

Itachi stared doggedly at him in return. Naruto softly jarred Itachi with his elbow.

“Let’s all get some Ichiraku ramen.”

“You just ate three cups of instant ramen.” Itachi reminded him.

“That was like a whole two hours ago. I’m hungry.”

Kakashi put an arm around the back of his chair.

“I haven’t eaten yet,” he announced. Itachi watched in resignation.

“It’s settled then. Let’s go!”

“Ah, wait, I almost forgot.” Kakashi said. “Hokage-sama needs to discuss something with you, Itachi-kun. He asked me to get you earlier this morning but I had to help a group of genin walk past a black cat without getting seven years of bad luck.”

“Isn’t it breaking a mirror that gives you seven years bad luck?” Naruto wondered. Kakashi looked up as he thought about it.

“Probably.” He admitted.

Itachi rubbed his temple. “Did Hokage-sama mention the topic of discussion?”

“Hmm. Probably, but I wasn’t really paying attention so I couldn’t tell you.”

Itachi eyed him speculatively, stood up and turned to Naruto. “I’ll be back later.”

Naruto waved as Itachi started to head out the window.

“Tell Minato-san that I figured out a possible way to stabilize the chakra flow of his conversion seal!” He shouted as Itachi jumped out.

Kakashi waited until Itachi was out of earshot to make conversation.

“You two seem to be getting along well.”

“Why wouldn’t we? Itachi’s a nice guy.”

“He isn’t usually _that_ nice,” Kakashi drawled. “He’s always been very distant and professional. Trying to get a reaction out of him other than polite indifference has been a hobby of mine for years.” He reluctantly confessed, “I’m usually not very successful.” Internally, Kakashi cheered at his slight success today.

Naruto laughed. “Maybe that’s why he’s usually only _'politely indifferent'_ around you?”

“No, he’s like that with most people. His brother, Minato-sensei, and Uchiha Shisui have been the only exceptions that I’ve seen.”

“Shisui?” Naruto wondered, recalling the name from somewhere.

Glad that Naruto took the bait, Kakashi continued. “He was Itachi’s best friend until he was killed on a mission a few years back.”

Uncomfortable, Naruto asked, “Should you be telling me that?”

Kakashi hummed flatly, “No, probably not. But I wanted you to realize that Itachi’s friendship isn’t something easily gained.”

Naruto thought about his earlier discussion with Itachi about friends.  He didn’t really believe him then.

“Why me?” He asked. Then bitterly he continued, “He feels responsible for me, doesn’t he? Because he’s the one that found me…”

Kakashi raised two placating hands. “Hmm, that’s what I thought at first, too. And maybe it was why he helped you in the beginning. Now I’m not so sure - he really seemed to be enjoying your company just now.”

Frustrated, Naruto asked, “Why are you telling me any of this?”

“Because when you leave, you’re going to be leaving behind more than one person who has forged bonds with you.”

Hurt cracked through Naruto’s expression.

“I didn’t mean for that.”

“No. People usually don’t – but it happens anyways.”

“I still – I still have to go. I don’t have a choice.”

“Don’t you?” Kakashi stalled.

Naruto froze. He still hadn’t figured out if the threat of the Rinnegan was out there. He still hadn’t figured out a way to ask Itachi about Madara and manage to sound casual.

_Hey Itachi, so about your great great something grandpa or uncle or whatever. Was he totally crazy in this world? Or was that just mine._

Maybe he should just start asking everything straight out and screw the consequences. Or find a history book. He felt bored just thinking about that.  

And then there was Orochimaru – missing from the bingo book.  Was he still in Konoha like Tsunade and Itachi were? Was he even alive?

Naruto hoped he died in the war. Painfully.

_If neither of them are around… Would I have to do anything?_

Naruto chewed his thumb. He needed answers, he was wasting too much time and getting involved with too many people.

He bit his thumb _hard_ when he realized what he just thought.

“I sound just like Sasuke…” He muttered darkly to himself as he watched the blood drip from his thumb.

“Your friend Sasuke?” Kakashi pried. Naruto grimaced at his slip up and remained quiet.

“You remind me of Minato-sensei.” Kakashi said, surprising even himself.

Naruto’s eyes widened as he gaped at Kakashi.

“Sensei keeps saying over and over you remind him of Kushina-san, but he’s all I’ve been able to see when I look at you.” He continued. “Your faces are almost identical – especially when you make certain expressions.” He paused. “Like the one you’re making right now.”

Naruto looked down in shame.

“His kid would have been twelve this year, same as Sasuke-kun. They might have even ended up on the same genin team. At this exact time in his life – what are the chances that you, _Uzumaki Naruto_ , would come out of nowhere? One that resembles not only Kushina-san, but Minato-sensei himself? Do you understand exactly how he must feel when he looks at you?”

“I’m not his son.” Naruto said dismally, thinking of his father who died sealing the Kyuubi.

“No, you’re not. And he definitely is not your father.” Kakashi said, almost resentfully. “So whatever you’re still doing here, make up your mind and get it over with before you hurt someone. And if you leave…” Kakashi trailed, “Don’t come back.”

Naruto felt shame and anger roll through him at Kakashi’s words.  He knew exactly how the Yondaime felt – he’s been experiencing it himself every day. To see people he never thought he’d see again, alive and happy – it was incredible. But they weren’t leaving.

Naruto was.

“I’ve said it before, Naruto-kun. We can help you if you need it – we are a hidden village, if there’s something you need done we can take care of it for you if you’re willing to pay the price. Secrets are our trade, you won’t have to worry about private information leaking out to anyone.”

Naruto laughed bitterly, the anger fouling his demeanor.

“You don’t think very highly of me, do you?  Still under some impression that I have a nasty little secret I’m desperate to keep to myself. Maybe you’re not wrong, but you’re not right either.” Naruto ran a hand down his face. “I guess I can’t blame you, I don’t think much of myself either.”

“What I don’t like is how casually you’ve waltzed into our lives and how casually you plan to step out. Other than that, Naruto-kun, I’d like to think that we could get along well.” Kakashi corrected.

The chair dug uncomfortably in Naruto’s back as he tried to organize his thoughts. His leg ached with a hollow pain he thought should have passed by now. His hair, falling just along his shoulders, itched at his nape, distracting him.

“I have a lot of ghosts, Kakashi.” He said instead. “I’m not trying to be romantic with my words – I have ghosts. They follow me and talk to me and I see them in the mirrors as I walk by. They all say the same thing – _hide, escape, complete the mission at all costs._ ”

He saw Ino that morning after he woke up, her face bleached white and half covered by long hair where he knew her eye had been brutally clawed out.  The socket ended up being damaged too greatly for an effective transplant. The smell of lilac soaked the air.

She screamed hysterically at him. “ _It’s your fault they’re dead!”_  

She lunged at him, kunai in hand, and targeted his eye – a cerulean blue almost as beautiful as hers had been.

Naruto brought his hand to his face and felt along the jagged line of scars that curved down from his temple and across his cheekbone.

Not one year ago, Sasuke slit Ino’s throat as she tried to butcher Naruto after Kiba and Neji died to save his life.

It _was_ his fault they were dead.

She fell – not quite lifeless – to the floor. She smiled as the blood pulsed from her jugular and the tears streamed from her dazed eye. 

It was the happiest Naruto had seen her in years.

“If I’ve seemed casual about anything at all, it’s because I’m _terrified._   I’ve never been allowed to be terrified before.  Sometimes I’m not even sure if any of this is real, but I can’t afford to think like that – because even if this is a dream, I only have this one chance to keep the single promise that I am still able to. If I don’t… All of their deaths would have been for nothing.”

He could hear Shikamaru whisper _lie_ next to his ear _._ He could see Kakashi, sitting across from him, whispering _deceive._

He could see Sasuke shaking his head from the corner of his eye.

The Kakashi sitting across from him is not his enemy.

“I’m sorry,” Kakashi apologized, surprising Naruto. “Today my only intention was to let you know that there are people here that care about you. I let my own feelings take control of the conversation earlier. I didn’t mean to threaten you.” Kakashi somehow managed to convey regret through his single visible eye.

Naruto wondered what sort of look he had on his face to make _Kakashi_ of all people apologize.

“He’s very important to you – Minato-san, I mean.” Naruto clarified, breaking eye contact. “You shouldn’t have to apologize for trying to protect him. Maybe it would have been better if I never ended up in Konoha.”

Kakashi sighed lethargically as he slumped back. “No, I think Konoha is the best place you could have ended up. Because of you, Minato-sensei might finally be able to bring himself to find peace with Kushina-san’s death. After twelve years, I’ve never been able to help him – I need to be glad for the chance that you might.”

Naruto’s chest felt hollow at Kakashi’s admission. 

“The last time I tried to help anyone, everyone died.”

“Then now you have a chance to start making up for it.”

A sense of dread crept up Naruto’s back as he realized he’s been tasked yet another mission he wasn’t qualified for.

“I… You said earlier that secrets are your trade, right?”

Kakashi nodded, thinking he’d finally broken some of the walls Naruto poorly barricaded himself with.

“Let’s make a trade then. I’ll ask you something about you and you can ask something about me.” He spoke slowly, unsure if he really wanted Kakashi to accept his bargain. Kakashi sat forward, running a hand across the flat board of the table.

“Anything?” Kakashi asked.

Naruto nodded hesitantly.

“You ask first, then.” Kakashi acquiesced, knowing he could always refuse – or lie.

“The person your Sharingan belonged to, what happened to them?”

Kakashi swallowed a deep breath. Of all the questions, he never even once would have considered being asked about Uchiha Obito. He slowly tapped a single finger against the table as he leaned back.

Ultimately, it was a harmless question. Not even much of a secret if you asked the right person – Itachi and Minato would have been able to give Naruto the same answer.

“He died.” He spoke monotonously. “A mission we were on went poorly and he was caught in a cave-in. I lost my eye earlier on the same mission, so before he passed he asked our other teammate to transplant his Sharingan in place of my lost eye.” He briefly raised a hand over the left side of his face. “We went back for him after the mission, but he didn’t make the trip back to the village.”

Naruto focused intently on keeping his expression as blank as he possibly could. Memories of Obito crazed – and so incredibly lonely – bubbled their way to surface.

“You brought him back to the village?”

“Yes. He is buried in the Uchiha District.”

Naruto closed his eyes and didn’t bother to hide the pain and stress he felt as they battled for control on his face.

“He sounds like he was a very good friend.”

Kakashi remained silent, the air around him heavy with regret.

“He was.”

“Your other teammate – Was she alright? She didn’t get hurt, did she?”

Kakashi cringed, while a part of his brain recognized that he never told Naruto his other teammate was female.

“She survived the mission.” He tersely replied, setting aside his suspicions for the moment. 

Naruto watched as Kakashi-sensei leaned forward on the table with one finger held over his masked mouth and his Mangekyo revealed.  He whispered ‘ _keep your answer simple. People_ _make their own truths._ ’

“Kakashi…” Naruto began hesitantly once his mind calmed.

“Naruto-kun, we agreed one secret for one secret.” Kakashi sat comfortably in his chair, never having moved. Naruto flinched back.

“Sorry, sorry. I’ve never really known when to stop.” He waved his hands in emphasis of his apology, wide eyed. “I guess that means you can ask me something now.” Naruto shifted anxiously, tugging sharply at a strand of hair.

Kakashi relaxed now that his turn was up.  He contemplated what he knew of Naruto in order to determine the question that would yield the most answers.  Naruto was a very emotional man; his eyes told everyone what he was feeling even when he attempted to keep a straight face. He was a chatterbox, but somewhere along the way someone must have taught him to keep his words to himself – if how he very suddenly got quiet at times was any indication. Kakashi’s first instinct told him to ask about Naruto’s mission.  If he could find that out… well it might determine the type of person Naruto is, and it might be a mission Kakashi could find a way to get Naruto to accept Konoha’s help with.

 _Look underneath the underneath,_ Kakashi thought to himself. Was there anything he could ask that would reveal both Naruto’s mission and something more?

Itachi levied himself in through the open window.

“Maa, Itachi-kun, you have the worst timing.” Kakashi griped. Itachi raised an eyebrow in question. Kakashi moped as Naruto laughed nervously. “Well, I suppose I’ll have some time to think over what I want to ask you, Naruto-kun. Now that Itachi-kun’s interrupted our little game.” He mumbled. Itachi’s brow joined the other one high on his forehead.

Naruto anxiously mussed his hair with both hands, making it stick out even more wildly than usual. 

“Ah – yea. Just ask me whenever then.” He responded.

“And what exactly did I interrupt in my own apartment?” Itachi asked, his voice flat.

“Not much,” Kakashi lazily replied. “I suppose I should be going now. I told Gai I’d meet him this morning to see who can find more four leaf clovers within an hour.”

“It’s past noon.” Itachi said, pointing at the large wall clock facing Kakashi.

“Hmm, would you look at that.” He said while standing up. “I’ll see you later, then.” He looked pointedly at Naruto, who gulped and waved haphazardly as Kakashi left.

Which left him with Itachi. An Itachi who was staring intently at Naruto.   

“What were the two of you talking about?” He asked, unusually nosy.

“Ah well. Mostly we were talking about Minato-san. Then we made a deal to trade secrets.”

“…Trade secrets?” His voice somehow got flatter.

“Yea! I asked him about who gave him his eye and he was about to ask me something when you came back.” He laughed unenthusiastically. “I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing he has more time to think about it. I don’t really want to answer anything, but it’s only fair after what I asked him.” Naruto explained. Itachi leaned against the kitchen counter, eyeing Naruto in mirth.

“I think you’ll be getting the short end of the trade, Naruto.”

“Ehh? Why do you say that?”

“The story behind Kakashi’s eye isn’t exactly a secret. I could have told you about it if you’d asked me. In fact, most Uchiha could – It’s a bit of a sore subject among the clan. Most people who were involved in the Third Shinobi War know the story too.”

“What? You know what happened? A _bunch_ of people know what happened?” Naruto stood up, slamming both hands on the table in surprise.

“I _am_ the future head of the Uchiha Clan, Naruto. It’s expected that I know the status of our clan members as well as the location of any Sharingan lost by an Uchiha.”

Naruto blinked dumbly at Itachi.

“I have a feeling I should have known that.” He said, still staring vacantly in Itachi’s direction. “But! It’s less honorable asking about people behind their backs! Yup, that’s right. It’s about honor, Itachi.” Naruto crossed his arms and gave his best good guy pose.

Itachi laughed lightly at Naruto’s poor justification. “Alright then. Honor it is. Do you have any other questions you don’t want to ask behind people’s backs?”

“Oh man, _so many questions_!” Naruto hastily covered his mouth. “That I’m not going to ask about because it’s dishonorable.” He sat back down in mock disinterest. “Aww man, this still means Kakashi totally one-upped me. I hope he doesn’t ask me something _really_ bad.” He slammed his forehead on the top of the table.

“Knowing Kakashi, he’s going to take the extra time he has to think about what he can ask you and pick the one thing that will force you to tell him the most.”

Naruto grumbled to himself.

“You can always refuse to answer. Or ask for a different question.” Itachi suggested.

“No, no. We made a deal, I’ll tell him what he wants to know.” Naruto moaned at his stupidity. “I always think I’m doing something so clever, but it always turns back on me.” Itachi patted him three times on the head as he walked by.

“Kakashi might be cunning, but he’s not cold-hearted. He knows there are limits.”

“That just makes _me_ feel bad.”

“It’s been a long time since Obito died, Naruto. Maybe it’s not something he likes to remember, but he faces him every time he uses the Sharingan. Talking about Obito is probably good for him – besides, I’m certain Yondaime-sama likes to reminisce about him on occasion as he does with Kushina-san.”

Naruto let out a breath.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. He’s probably just gloating to himself about how he’s going to get information out of me. The jerk.”

 _But really though,_ Naruto thought, _even though I could have asked someone else, I did learn something important. Obito is dead._

He didn’t know whether or not that was a good thing.

 _Obito wasn’t a bad guy… just in a bad state of mind. A_ really _bad state of mind._

“Oh! Hey Itachi, I do have a question you’d be able to answer. It’s just history so it’s not _dishonorable_ or anything.” Naruto said, finally realizing how he could ask about Madara. Itachi looked curiously back at Naruto from where he was preparing a new batch of tea.

“Yeah, so uh, back when Konoha was founded, it was founded by the Senju and the Uchiha clans, right?” Naruto really didn’t want to mess up this time. He was going to figure out if Madara was still out there.

“Yes. Konohagakure was formed due to an alliance between the Senju and Uchiha clans, namely due to the friendship between Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.” Itachi explained.

“So they were friends?” Naruto pried. Itachi thought about how to answer.

“Yes and no, I suppose is the best way to answer that. They had some very large disagreements on how Konoha should interact with the other developing villages – So much so that Madara left the village for quite some time.  However, he cared about the village enough to come back and aid Konoha in the wars that he and Hashirama both ended up dying in.”

Naruto tapped his fingers anxiously on the table. It wasn’t the same history he was familiar with, but even so – Something wasn’t right, he could feel it.

“Where did Madara go when he left Konoha?”

Itachi shrugged, pondering the question himself. “He never told anyone.  When he came back, he never said a word about where he’d been or what he’d been doing.”

Madara wouldn’t have been doing nothing.

 _Or am I reading too much into it?_ Naruto pondered.

“Why the sudden interest in history?” Itachi asked.

“Huh? Well I did just meet Senju Tsunade and Uchiha Itachi.” Naruto laughed sheepishly, hoping he was convincing enough. Itachi nodded at the explanation, keeping his expression neutral. “Oh, I almost forgot. What did Minato-san want? Did you tell him about the conversion seal?”

Almost unnoticeably, Itachi tensed at the mention of the Hokage. Naruto was sure he wouldn’t notice it all if it weren’t for his long standing friendships with many stoic individuals.

“He just wanted my opinion on a few things – I’m afraid I can’t tell you much more than that. And he says he’s looking forward to seeing what you’ve found.”

Naruto frowned slightly before remembering he wasn’t a Konoha shinobi here – of course he wouldn’t be allowed to know certain things.

“I hope the alteration I came up with works, it’d be pretty cool to see how it does in battle.” Naruto let Itachi steer the conversation away from his meeting with Minato. Itachi relaxed imperceptively.

“Oh, just a warning – Sasuke should be back soon too.”

“Perfect! I’m starving. When he gets here lets go to Ichiraku’s!”

Itachi smiled, the same genuine smile that Naruto couldn’t seem to get used to.

“Yeah.” Itachi quietly replied.

 

* * *

 

Naruto wondered why nothing was broken yet as he stared at Tsunade’s furious face. He looked at the desk (still in one piece), the floor (no holes), the window (intact), and then felt his face just in case (still there).

“So you think you’re competent enough to determine when your injuries have healed enough, do you?” She grit out, teeth bared. “You think its okay to use your chakra so _recklessly_ after you nearly died from _chakra exhaustion_?” Her fist clenched, but remained by her side. Naruto knew it was just waiting to be released. “Since apparently you _know so much_ about medical theory, why don’t you start working as a mednin? Huh?! I’ve got a position open just for you!” Aaand there it was. Her fist flew up from where it was biding its time and soared towards Naruto’s face.

He carefully opened a single eye after a suspenseful pause to see her fist inches away from his face.

He thought he peed a little, not that he would ever admit it. Sasuke smirked from where he was standing with Itachi on the far side of the room.

 _Cowards,_ Naruto thought.

“Consider yourself lucky that I’m not one to injure patients that I’ve just healed, Uzumaki. That doesn’t mean I’ll crush the urge to send you through that window another day, however.” She resumed her usual posture, which still looked too intimidating to be considered casual. She pointed at a chair. “Sit.”

Naruto sat so fast the Yellow Flash might have to relinquish his title as fastest ninja.

Tsunade checked over his ribs and leg with a chakra infused hand, the frown never leaving her face. She grunted in reluctant approval.

“At least your little stunt managed to do what you wanted. Your ribs are completely healed now and your leg is getting there. Probably still feeling a little stiff or tender at times?”

“Ah, y-yeah. Sometimes it still aches.” He answered nervously. He could feel Sasuke’s sadistic smirk drilling into the side of his head. He heard a quiet _thwap_ and a small ‘ _ow_ ’ which suspiciously sounded like Sasuke. He was too scared of Tsunade to break eye contact with her to glance over.

Tsunade continued her fierce stare. Naruto started to sweat.

“The Yondaime told me what you said about your condition. That you’ve had it for years.” Naruto sunk down in his chair. “He also told me that you’ve been looked over before and that you were told nothing could be done.”

Naruto grimaced at how she phrased it. “Jeez, you make it sound like I’m dying or something.”

“Well, I don’t know if you aren’t! This sort of instability is incredibly dangerous, don’t you understand that? It’s as if there is something _inside_ of you that is continuously drawing chakra out of your reserves, regardless of how much chakra you actually have! I’m not talking small amounts of chakra here either, brat. I’ve tried to pinpoint exactly where your chakra’s going, but I’ve had no luck whatsoever. I had a Hyuuga come in to take a look at you when you were out of it, but even he was baffled.”

Naruto brought his feet up and sat cross legged on the chair. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“Like hell I would.  As long as you’re in Konoha I’m not going to give you a pass on your condition.” She squared her feet. With her crossed arms and vicious gaze, Naruto thought she’d be better suited on the battlefield.

Her words made him think about whether or not he was leaving Konoha, after all.  Even if Madara and the Rinnegan were out there, he didn’t know where.  If he left, where would he go? Dig up Nagato’s grave and make sure his eyes were rotted in his skull? Naruto felt revolted at the idea.

Naruto wanted to stay in Konoha, but after his discussion with Kakashi he wasn’t sure he’d be able to bring himself to come back if he left. Konoha was his home – or it was, in any case. The streets here may be familiar, but they didn’t know him. His ghosts walked with him along the crowded streets, reminders of a Konoha that was destroyed not once – but twice. He may have promised the Yondaime he’d come back after his mission, but now he thought it might be easier for everyone if he didn’t.

He understood why Kakashi told him not to come back if he left. Leaving once means everyone will be waiting for the day he leaves again. He remembers watching Sasuke after they first agreed to a tentative alliance in the beginning of the final war – terrified that one day he’d just up and leave without a word.

He thought again about what he would do if he left. He was no good at information gathering and even worse at working alone. On the flip side, if he stayed in Konoha he’d have connections and powerful allies that might be able to help – have already offered him help without even knowing his cause.

“About five years ago… I was captured.” He started. Tsunade’s posture shifted to something slightly less aggressive.

“…Kid?” She questioned when he didn’t continue.  Naruto could see Itachi and Sasuke slowly inch themselves forward.

“I think I’d like to stay in Konoha.” Naruto finally said. Tsunade’s eyes closed in relief.  Itachi was suddenly at his side, curiosity all over his face.  Realizing he’d been left behind, Sasuke stumbled forward towards the small huddle, perpetual scowl embedded on his face as he stared at Naruto accusingly.  

“Well you’d better find your own place, I want my room back.”

Naruto rolled his eyes while both Tsunade and Itachi whacked Sasuke on the back of the head.

“I just think that if I stay, I’d rather not be hounded by you all the time, Baachan. You’re scary.”

She grinned wickedly, “A wise decision, brat. Now start revealing all your secrets before I have to hit you.” He was pretty sure she’d hit him regardless.

“Well I don’t know about revealing _all_ my secrets, but I guess I can tell you this one.” Naruto replied, unsure of exactly how much he was going to tell. The urge to lie struggled inside him. He could easily skip certain details and still be taken at face value.

He was tired of lying.

“I was a Jinchurinki.” He admitted outright, astonished at his own sincerity. Tsunade froze in place as his comment struck hard from behind. Even Itachi’s perpetually calm face betrayed his shock. Sasuke didn’t seem familiar with the word and drew his brows together in confusion. “Five years ago, I was captured and Kur – the bijuu was extracted from me. My chakra’s been like this ever since.”

Tsunade struggled to gain control of herself before scowling determinedly.

“That gives me something to work with, at least. Of all the things, honestly. I’m beginning to think you exist to make my life difficult. You _survived_ an extraction? Unbelievable.” She ran a hand through her hair. “The people who extracted the bijuu, where are they now?” she brazenly asked.

“Dead.” Naruto replied simply.

Tsunade felt a migraine coming and walked towards the open window for some air.

“How long were you a Jinchurinki?”

“Nineteen years.”

“That’s – That’s when you were born?”

Naruto nodded in confirmation. Tsunade muttered incoherently to herself.

“Of all the irresponsible – Alright, fine. Thank you for being honest with me. With this information and the information I gathered from when you were admitted I might be able to come up with something that will help.  I’ll have to speak with Minato about this – he’s somewhat knowledgeable about the bijuu and their Jinchurinkis.” Tsunade explained. Naruto shrugged, examining a large distorted scar on his hand. Tsunade sighed in exasperation. “Minato told me people have tried to improve your condition in the past – I’m going to tell you right now, I’m not them.  We will figure this out.”

Naruto smiled grimly, “You’re still talking about it as if I’m dying.”

“I still don’t know if you _aren’t_. Which is why we’re going to fix this.” Tsunade turned to face the wall. “Other than that, you’re in good condition. I still don’t think you should be using your chakra too much, but if it’s been like this for five years and you’ve been managing… Just don’t overdo it. Can you do that much for me?”

Naruto laughed brightly and shrugged. “No promises, but I’ll try not to do anything too strenuous.” Tsunade nodded and flicked his forehead. He winced at the force of it.

“Alright, that’s it for today. Get out of here.” She stopped at the door she was walking through and turned back to glance at Naruto. “Oh, and Kid? Welcome to Konoha.”

She left.

Naruto felt something rise in his chest and squashed it back down.

Itachi and Sasuke watched him with identical curious faces. Naruto squinted at them.

“What?”

“So you’ve decided to stay?” Itachi asked. Naruto looked out the window. The sky wasn’t red and none of his ghosts hovered at the corners of his eyes.

“I don’t really know where else I’m supposed to go.” He confessed. “Or even if there’s anything left for me to do. I figure that at least I can sort out that stuff here – and if I end up needing it, I can always bother you for help.” Naruto grinned at Itachi, suddenly confident in his decision to stay.

“You’d better find your own place then. I still want my room back.” Sasuke complained.

“You’re welcome to stay at my apartment as long as you like, Naruto.” Itachi offered.

Naruto laughed at the aghast expression on Sasuke’s face as he stared up at his unresponsive brother in betrayal.

“But – but my room…” he started before giving up. “Fine, whatever. I’m just going to bring a futon from home back with me tonight so I don’t have to stay on that stupid couch.”

Naruto was willing to bet Itachi knew Sasuke was going to do that.

“Oh, that’s right. Are we still going to your parent’s place for dinner?” Naruto pointed at himself as he asked.

“Yes, if you’re still up to it. My mother is excited to meet you – She was a good friend of Kushina-san’s.” Itachi answered.

“Ah, well I hope I don’t disappoint her. I mean, I didn’t know Kushina or anything…” Naruto awkwardly stood up from where he was still sitting.

“She’ll like you.” Itachi informed, smiling at Naruto. Sasuke muttered something while smirking to himself.

“What was that?” Naruto said loudly inches away from Sasuke’s ear. Sasuke yelped and pushed Naruto’s face away as he backed up.

“Nothing! I didn’t say anything.” He said while he was still calming down. “And earlier you were talking about something? Jinchurinki? What is that?”

“It’s something you shouldn’t talk about with other people, because it’s Naruto’s personal information.” Itachi warned. Sasuke scowled at the non-answer.

“How ‘bout I’ll tell you after you make genin?” Naruto tried.

Sasuke thought about it before crossing his arms and shrugging, keeping his face as nonchalant as he could. Naruto smiled fondly at the familiarity of the gesture. He felt a wave of nostalgia hit him and he started walking before he did something embarrassing. 

“It’s probably about time we head over, if you don’t mind getting there a little bit early.” Itachi suggested, eyeing Naruto to make sure he’d tell the truth.

“No, sounds good to me! If your cooking is anything to go by, your _mother’s_ cooking is bound to be delicious!” Naruto said enthusiastically, pumping his fist. “I’ll bet Sasuke is terrible at cooking though.” He tacked on.

Sasuke bristled, but managed to calm himself before shouting something. Naruto pouted as he realized Sasuke was getting used to him.

He’ll have to try harder now.

“I can make tomato soup.” Sasuke weakly contradicted. Itachi and Naruto exchanged glances over Sasuke’s head while Sasuke sulked.

“I’m glad that you’ve decided to stay, Naruto.” Itachi said as they walked out of the hospital entrance.

Naruto looked up guiltily. “I’m sorry for being such a burden. I’ll pay you back somehow.”

Itachi shook his head as he grasped Naruto’s shoulder as he walked with him. “You have never been a burden to any of us.” He said sincerely. “Yet.” He amended, shooting Naruto a small grin. He was smiling more often now, Naruto noticed. During his stay in the hospital, Itachi was kind but incredibly reserved.

_I guess he’s gotten used to me too._

“What do you mean he hasn’t been a burden? I’ve been sleeping on the couch all week.” Sasuke griped.

“You used to stay over only about once a week, Sasuke.”

“Well _someone_ has to make sure this moron doesn’t rob you blind.”

“Ah, yes. All of the expensive stuff I leave all over my apartment.” Itachi droned. Naruto stifled his laugh.

“Aww, admit it Sasuke. You fell in love with me at first sight – that’s why you’re so hesitant to leave my side.

Sasuke’s denial was so loud, Naruto was certain that Gaara over in Suna was getting a headache.

“I think Naruto is a little too old for you, Sasuke.” Itachi reprimanded, looking disapprovingly at his brother once he ran out of breath. Sasuke tried to retort, but failed as he gasped for air.

“C’mon Itachi, don’t break his little heart. Well, if he has one.” Naruto eyed Sasuke speculatively.

Red with embarrassment, Sasuke pointed a finger at Naruto and started to say something.

“ARGH.” He eloquently stated before running off in the wrong direction.

“Too adorable.” Naruto said as Itachi nodded. “Oh, but don’t worry Itachi. You’re still my favorite.” Naruto grinned as Itachi raised an amused brow. Something passed through Itachi’s eyes at the comment, but Naruto didn’t give it much thought.

Naruto was starting to feel like everything was going to be alright for the first time in years.


	4. To Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look forward and breathe.

“You asked for my presence, Hokage-sama?” Itachi knelt down in respect before the Yondaime.

“Itachi, yes. I just want to hear you opinion on a few matters, if you don’t mind.” Minato idly spun a brush between his fingers, the ink long since dry.

“Of course, sir.” He stood up, long dark hair sliding behind his shoulder.

“You can already probably guess the subject of the ‘matters’,” Minato smiled grimly, “Uzumaki Naruto.”

Itachi remained quiet, but he'd expected as much. His eyes wandered until they settled on the window, not quite taking anything in.

“He said something to me the other day about a dream he had while he was in a coma.” His eyes followed Itachi’s line of sight. “Overall, it was generic dream-type nonsense – but something caught my attention. It might be nothing – rather, I thought it was nothing before, but the more I think about it the less sure I am.”

Itachi’s eyes moved back to the Yondaime inquisitively.

“He said in his dream, people were collecting the bijuu in order to take over the world.” Minato’s gaze hardened as he continued to stare out the window. Itachi understood why it was a concerning thought, but the Yondaime seemed to know something Itachi didn’t. “Itachi, you may not know, but my wife was the Jinchurinki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune.”

Itachi did know – however it was not a topic commonly spoken aloud out of respect of the Hokage and Kushina. He nodded for the Hokage to continue.

“The day she died… We never released the full details of the situation. I found her in our home, but we determined that she was not killed within the premises.”

Itachi’s eyes widened as comprehension of the implication took root.

“You think that someone might have abducted her for the Kyuubi?” He tried not to sound skeptical, but there were other factors that didn’t add up. “Even if someone did manage to extract the Kyuubi from Kushina-san, the time it would take and the amount of chakra used in the process - it would be impossible to hide that it was happening. Especially from you.”

“Yes, maybe that’s why they changed their mind and outright murdered her instead.” Minato spoke with venom in his voice, his eyes targeting prey he couldn’t quite pin down. “Kushina had tremendous chakra reserves, Itachi.  Significantly more so than Uzumaki Mito; the previous Jinchurinki of the Kyuubi. She would have survived an extraction – I’ve ran over the estimations countless times before and after she was killed. If whoever did this went through with the extraction, she would still be alive.” Minato snapped the brush he was holding in his hand. “But they killed her instead – taking the slow but cautious way. The bijuu regenerate over time after their host dies – they decided to wait for the Kyuubi rather than take it at the first opportunity.” Blood began to seep down the Yondaime’s hand, the broken brush cutting into his skin where he still gripped it tightly.

Itachi ran through scenarios in his head to determine the specifics of how and why the murderer in the Yondaime’s theory would do what they did.

“Sir, I’m not trying to disagree, but why would someone choose to wait rather than take the Kyuubi immediately? It’s uncertain they’d even be able to find the Kyuubi before someone else in that situation.”

“Yes, I’ve thought that over as well. I’ve come up with several circumstances that might be able to explain it, but only one that ties the entire situation together.” The Yondaime paused and watched Itachi critically. “Whoever killed Kushina is from Konoha, and didn’t want to risk jeopardizing their position here.”

Itachi didn’t get the chance to reign in his shock.

“Sir, that’s…”

“Insane? Paranoid? I know. I thought so too, but it explains everything.  It explains why there were no signs of struggle in our house – Kushina would have been able to sense an intruder, no matter how good they were.  She knew her murderer. It explains why I was unable to sense that she was in danger – she didn’t _know_ she was. It explains why no one saw or sensed anything out of the ordinary that day, how they managed to get close enough in order to render her unconscious and bring her somewhere else – and lastly it explains why they decided to kill her instead of extract the Kyuubi.” Minato hurried his explanation, the fury rising in his voice with every syllable.

“They killed her because they knew that if they chose to extract the Kyuubi, the chances that they would be found out would increase dramatically.  Killing someone – if you know how to do it right, as you are aware – won’t leave a trace. Extracting a bijuu, however, narrows down the list of suspects. First of all – knowhow. Not many people are skilled enough to pull something like that off – there are at most half a dozen people in the village that would be able to pull off an extraction. And most importantly, during the extraction – due to the Hiraishin, _I_ would be able to be at the scene immediately after sensing that Kushina was in pain. Too quickly for them to finish the extraction and get away without interference. Too quickly for them to kill Kushina and prevent her from telling me who did this.”

Minato stood and stabbed a kunai into his desk.

“They decided that they still needed to have a presence within Konoha and murdered her instead. For the past twelve years Kushina’s murderer has been _within the village._ ” Minato spat his words with disgust Itachi had never before witnessed from the Yondaime.

Calmly, Itachi spoke. “Sir, once again, not to disagree – but do you have any proof of this outside of speculation? Being able to draw a story together based on circumstance is one thing, but to have even the slightest shred of evidence would be able to justify an internal investigation.”

Itachi almost flinched as Minato turned a heated glare on him before catching himself and attempting to find some semblance of calm.

“This is why I brought you here, Itachi. I can trust you to pick apart things that I’ve overlooked and not to blindly agree with me. I need that. After twelve years of twisting theory upon theory of what happened that day, I never once allowed myself to think that it might have been from within the village itself. I always led myself to believe it was an assassination on the behalf of some other village – revenge on Kushina or myself, I don’t know. But this, _this_ makes more sense than any of the insane theories I’ve managed to cobble together over the years. Maybe I don’t have any evidence, maybe it seems like I’m reaching for answers, but _I know_ it’s the truth. Kushina was killed by someone that we know. Someone that she would let walk right into our house, no questions asked.” Minato’s eyes turned desperate as he looked up at Itachi. “Please, Itachi. I need your help on this. I have Kakashi looking into a few things already, but I need you to talk to Naruto-kun.”

Itachi blinked suddenly, having forgotten the origin of the conversation started with Naruto’s ‘dream’.

“You think Naruto knows something?” Itachi asked, bewildered. The Yondaime dejectedly sat back in his chair, his face lined with exhaustion.

“A part of me hopes that he does. A larger part of me wishes that he doesn’t. If he does know – if he’s somehow connected with this, I need to know. I’ll need to know what _he_ knows, regardless of how I get the information. If he’s not connected, if his dream of the bijuu being collected was really just a dream – I’ll be very relieved. I don’t want him to be connected to this, but I can’t take the chance that he’s not.” Minato sighed in resignation, eyes glued to the framed photo on his desk. “The way he was talking about his dream, something felt off. It felt like when someone talks about a 'friend' who needs help with something embarrassing. There was truth in what he was saying, I just need to find out what it was.” Minato stood imposingly in front of his desk and stared with determination. “I need _you_ to find out what it is. Itachi, I need you to find out _who Naruto-kun is_.”

Itachi was not an emotional person. He did his best to block emotions out as much as he could to prevent them from interfering with his duties as a shinobi. But as he listened to the Yondaime’s words and thought about Naruto’s brilliant smile and wide trusting eyes, dread coursed through him. 

The unease trickled down his spine, causing the hairs to stand up against his flesh.

“Yes, sir.” 

 

* * *

 

Naruto flinched as he walked through the gates of the Uchiha District. The gates were large and pristine, staffed by Uchiha who appeared attentive and poised – when they were most likely bored out of their minds. Naruto had only been through the Uchiha District once before.

Sakura-chan had walked with him through these streets almost eight years ago when he returned from his training with Jiraiya. They reminisced about their genin missions and their never ending quest to catch a glimpse of Kakashi’s face. Their conversation remained cheerful despite the dilapidated houses, unmaintained streets, and old, _old_ bloodstains that no one seemed able to get rid of – despite obvious repeated efforts.

Naruto thought about where his friends were slaughtered – where he would have been slaughtered if not for Sasuke.

Had their blood soaked into the ground so deep it couldn’t be removed?

Had his?

Naruto brought a hand to his chest to where the most fatal of his wounds had been as he stared down an alley he remembered had a wide and narrow stain splattered from one end of the wall to the other.

He couldn’t look at Itachi.

Itachi didn’t notice as he was busy exchanging pleasantries with clan members they were passing in the street.   

Everyone was happy.

Naruto watched a group of small kids run around them. Most of them were not Uchiha clan members.

“The district gates are always staffed, but the district has been open to the village for years now.” Itachi explained as he caught Naruto watching the kids. “I think it was mainly due to Yondaime-sama’s influence. His friendship with my parents has brought many significant changes in how our clan interacts with Konoha as a whole – changes for the better. We are much more ingrained with the village population now than we were a decade ago.” Itachi let his eyes follow a group of old women watching the children with disapproval. “We still have much to improve upon.”

Naruto kept his eyes forward as they walked down the street.

“You said before that you moved out of the district to be more involved with Konoha, didn’t you?”

“Yes. There are a few Uchiha who reside outside of the district gates, although I will be expected to move back in when my father decides it is time for me to begin taking over my responsibilities as the future clan head.” Itachi explained.

Naruto’s efforts to avoid looking at Itachi broke at his words.

“Do you even want to be the clan head?” Naruto asked uncertainly.

Itachi side eyed Naruto and bestowed him a sly smile.

“There’s not much choice in the matter.” He replied. “I’ll accept my responsibilities and continue to improve the relationship between my clan and the village. With the new generation of Uchiha, this will not be as difficult as it has been in the past.”

Naruto grimaced and scratched the back of his head.

“Eh, you’re too young to have so much responsibility on your shoulders, Itachi. You should be out there chasing girls and having fun!” Naruto gestured wildly out around him. “Man, I know that’s what I would have been doing when I was a teenager, given the chance.”

Itachi cocked his head and casually asked, “What _were_ you doing when you were a teenager then?”

Naruto tilted his head and crossed his arms, tapping a hand against his arm where it rested.

“Well – training, for one. When I was thirteen I spent a few years travelling with my sensei who taught me how to better control my chakra and some other things. After that I spent a while learning how – how to be a Jinchurinki. And looking for Sasuke…” Naruto grumbled.

“Looking for Sasuke?” Itachi asked. Naruto scowled as he mentioned it.

“Yea, my friend Sasuke ran off to get some asshole to train him. He was really annoying and didn’t want to come back so I was really annoying in return and kept trying to drag him back. Eventually we sort of both gave up, I guess.” Naruto shrugged, clearly not wanting to talk too much about it. “Things just got worse from there.” He mumbled. He kept his eyes on the skyline and continued. “But really, you’re seventeen, right? You should go and have more fun before you end up like Kakashi.”

“I’m relatively sure porn addiction isn’t in my future.”

“You know, I bet seventeen year old Kakashi would have said the same thing.” Naruto said, grinning slightly. “But what I really meant is you don’t want to end up lonely.”

Itachi thought about how often he sees Kakashi at the clan cemetery, about how often Itachi himself is there.

“I suppose you’ll have to stick around and make sure it doesn’t happen, then. I’m in your hands, Naruto.” Itachi smiled while picking up his pace as he jogged towards a large house in a secluded area.

Naruto allowed himself to look around before realizing he was left behind.

“O-Oi! What do you mean you’re in my hands?! That’s a lot of responsibility, I’m not sure I can handle it – Itachi! Just avoid all little orange books!” He shouted while running to catch up, his previous moodiness forgotten.  

Sasuke stood at the entrance of the house, scowl in place and hair properly ruffled. Itachi smiled as Naruto reached them. Naruto stopped in his tracks at the sight in front of him.

Sasuke and Itachi – alive and happy in front of their family home.

Naruto smiled back, shoving down the emotions welling in his chest. He was certain he wasn’t able to cover them all. Itachi’s smile softened as he pulled Naruto closer to them.

“You’re late.” Sasuke grumbled, trying to straighten his hair.

“I was right behind Itachi, you little punk.” Naruto grumbled right back.

“He said I was late too.” Itachi informed. Naruto huffed and crossed his arms.

“So you must be Naruto-kun.” A soft voice called out from behind Sasuke. “I’ve been hearing a lot about you recently.” A delicate, beautiful woman appeared from the doorway – and Naruto was _stunned_ at the resemblance between the three Uchiha. “I’m Uchiha Mikoto. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Naruto-kun.”

Naruto snapped out of his trance and laughed awkwardly, receiving identical amused smiles from Itachi and Mikoto.

“It’s a – It’s a pleasure to finally meet you too, Mikoto-san. Sorry, it’s just that the family resemblance is really strong, I was a little surprised.” He continued laughing awkwardly.

Mikoto gestured everyone to enter the house while saying, “I could say the same for you, Naruto-kun.  That hair of yours is the same exact shade of red as Kushina’s.” Naruto smiled softly while following the Uchihas inside.

“You were her friend, right? Itachi said so.”

“Yes, we were friends for many years. Her death was a tragedy I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to accept.” She stopped suddenly at a framed photo on the wall of herself and Kushina donning their jounin uniforms and smiling brightly. “She was so full of life; it’s hard to believe even now that someone was able to take that away from her.” Mikoto smiled as she took in Naruto’s sorrowful expression. “But she lived once, and that – I think – is the most important thing. Everyone who knew her gained something irreplaceable.” She held Naruto’s hand and clasped it in her own. “She would have loved to meet you, Naruto-kun.”

Naruto’s eyes fell to the floor as she let go of his hand and continued walking ahead. A hand fell on his shoulder, and he didn’t have to look up to know who it was. Itachi swept his eyes over Naruto’s features to ensure that he was alright before nodding and pressing the both of them ahead. Sasuke remained subdued through the conversation, recognizing the atmosphere for what it was.

Naruto smiled genuinely, glad that his mother was able to have so many people who loved her while she was alive. He said nothing.

They entered the dining room which had already been prepared for their arrival. At the head of the table sat a stern looking man he presumed was Itachi’s and Sasuke’s father.

 _Mikoto-san has some strong genes_ , was Naruto’s first thought as he took in the man’s comparatively unfamiliar appearance.

“Naruto, this is our father – Uchiha Fugaku.” Itachi introduced them. “Father – this is Uzumaki Naruto.”

After an awkward pause, Naruto stifled a nervous laugh and said, “It’s an honor to meet you, ah, Uchiha-san. Thank you for having me over for dinner.”

Fugaku silently studied Naruto before nodding. “It’s our honor to have an Uzumaki eat dinner with us tonight. My wife has been looking forward to meeting you since your arrival – I can see that you’ve healed well.”

Taking a seat next to Itachi and across from Sasuke, Naruto scratched his head. “Ah, yeah. All healed now. Just a bit of soreness left over, but that will be gone soon.”

“I’ve heard that Tsunade-san says there was something wrong with your chakra?” Mikoto’s concerned voice floated into the room as she carried a large platter of sushi to the table.

Naruto made a gesture of dismissal. “It’s an… ongoing condition.” Naruto tried. “I’ve had problems with my chakra for a few years now. Baachan thinks she’ll be able to do something about it, though.”

Mikoto smiled at Naruto’s choice of addressing Tsunade. “If anyone is able to help you, it’s her.” She confided. Naruto hummed in agreement.

Sasuke loading his plate up with food seemed to be the cue to start eating, if everyone reaching out towards the platters was any indication.

Itachi frowned at Sasuke.

“You’re eating too fast, Sasuke. You’ll get sick.”

Sasuke made a face at Itachi before noticing his father’s raised brow. He sat up straight and started eating with a little more dignity. Naruto traded glances with Mikoto.

“So Naruto-kun,” Mikoto began. “How long do you plan on staying with us here in Konoha?”

Naruto finished chewing his rice before answering. Itachi was impressed – he usually didn’t bother.

“Truth is, I don’t really have anywhere to go. And Minato-san said I could stay if I wanted to.”

“Oh! So you’re planning on staying? That’s wonderful news. I’d heard before that you intended to leave as soon as you healed.”

“I –ah, I got a little ahead of myself there. After what happened, I thought I could just rush out and go back to what I thought I was supposed to be doing. But all of that is gone now, I think.”

Mikoto piled another heaping of rice onto Naruto’s plate as he was caught in his thoughts.

“I trust Itachi has been a good host this past week?”

Naruto blinked at the food that was suddenly on his plate.

“That- I mean yeah, of course. Itachi’s really been too nice. I don’t really even know how to begin paying him back. If I had to stay one more day in that hospital… terrible, terrible things would have happened, I’m sure of it.” He narrowed his eyes and pointed his chopsticks threateningly in Sasuke’s direction. Sasuke glared at them as he chewed.

“You don’t owe me anything, Naruto. Your company is payment in itself.” Itachi graciously said. Sasuke snorted.

“Oh, Itachi, that reminds me. Chie-san came by this morning; she found a few scrolls that belonged to you.” Mikoto said. “It’s such a shame you broke up with her, she really is such a darling girl.” She sighed.

Naruto and Sasuke both eyed Itachi ‘inconspicuously’.

“Mother, she broke up with me. She’s been dating Akihiko-san for a few weeks now.” Itachi reminded.

“Ehh?!” Naruto gasped, spitting out a piece of tuna on Sasuke’s face. “No way! Someone broke up with _you?!_ I can’t believe that. Who would do that?” Naruto proclaimed. Mikoto nodded her agreement while Sasuke sat still, shocked by the unannounced attack on himself.

“It was certainly unexpected.” Fugaku spoke up from his end of the table.

Itachi shrugged and seemed to be holding in a sigh.

“I don’t see why anyone would break up with Itachi.” Naruto started, now swinging his chopsticks in Itachi’s direction. “He’s smart, nice, funny, handsome – rich.” He took a couple quick bites of rice before continuing. “Every girl I know would be all over him.”

“Aha!” Sasuke shouted after regaining his composure. “I knew it! You’re just taking advantage of Nii-san because he has money!”

Naruto squinted and scrunched his nose up. “Whaaat? I’m taking advantage of what now?”

“You’re staying in Konoha to mooch off of Itachi-nii! I bet this was your plan all along!” A silence took over the table. Mikoto was barely suppressing a grin while Itachi covered his face with a hand. Fugaku continued to sit serenely at the head of the table.

“Pfft.” Naruto tried to stifle his laughter. “Ha, yeah, you’ve got me Sasuke. I’m just a good old fashioned gold-digger.” He didn’t bother stopping his laughter after that. Mikoto joined in, albeit much more quietly. Itachi shook his head.

“Well at the very least you’re a cheap date, Naruto. My wallet will never run dry as long as you only want ramen.”

“Don’t be so sure, Itachi. Now that I’ve been revealed I might start getting a little greedy. Ice cream is delicious too – maybe the occasional takoyaki. I’ll start cranking up the air conditioner too, since it’s been getting hotter every day.”

“Sasuke already has you beat there.” Itachi pointed out.

“Oi, Sasuke. Go find someone else to mooch off of, Itachi’s taken.” He made shooing motions at Sasuke.

Red-faced, Sasuke pointed at Naruto. “He’s _my_ brother!”

“Don’t worry Sasuke. Naruto-kun won’t be able to mooch off of Itachi _forever_.” Mikoto spoke up. “When Itachi gets married, I don’t think his wife would approve of it.” She teased.

“Oho! Thank you Mikoto for pointing out the single flaw in my devious plan! Now I know I have to marry Itachi in order to preserve my lavish lifestyle.” He fluttered his eyelashes at an amused Itachi. “Hey Itachi, let’s get married.”

Itachi took a bite of sushi and said, “Okay.”

Naruto looked at him in suspicion. “That was too easy. I was expecting at least a bit of a challenge.”

Itachi shrugged unapologetically. “Sorry.”

“No! No way! You can’t marry him!” Sasuke hollered, taking the exchange far too seriously.

“That’s rude. Why not?” Naruto miffed.

“Because Itachi-nii has to marry someone _smart_ and – and _not you_!” He sputtered.

“I’m smarter than you!” Naruto countered loudly, narrowing his eyes at Sasuke.

“I’m at the top of my class!” Sasuke slammed a fist on the table. 

Naruto opened his mouth to retort, rolled his eyes up in contemplation, closed his mouth, furrowed his brows and said, “You got me there.”

Sasuke grinned and turned up his nose while crossing his arms in triumph.

“Really Sasuke, please don’t be rude to my fiancé. He may not be the most intelligent person, but he’s promised to supply me with free fuinjutsu services whenever I need it.”

“Huh? When did I promise that?” Naruto wondered aloud.

“But Itachi-nii!”

“Oh, I get it Sasuke. You’re still in love with me! That’s why you can’t let me go.” Naruto determined.

Furiously, Sasuke threw his chopsticks at Naruto’s head. They bounced off his forehead, clattering loudly on the table in front of Naruto.

The three boys stopped suddenly and turned their heads to gape at Mikoto who was no longer holding in her laughter. Sasuke, realizing he was still in front of his parents, lost all the blood from his face and sat up straighter than his spine should logically be able to.

Itachi smiled at his mother as she laughed and risked a glance at his father. Fugaku sat as formally as ever, but Itachi knew his father well enough to determine that he wasn’t upset with how informal the evening was turning out.

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly and humbly ate a spoonful of soup, glancing at Itachi who grinned back.

Mikoto stifled her case of the giggles. “I’m sorry, it’s just been so long since I’ve seen these two act like the children they are. It’s a bit of a relief.” She wiped away a tear that managed to slip out.

“Naruto has the terrifying ability to lower anyone’s level of maturity to his own – which isn’t very high. I’m estimating he stopped developing it when he was eight, and that’s being generous.” Itachi informed his mother.

“Oi, Itachi! That’s rude. I’ll have you know I’m _significantly_ more mature now than I was at eight.” Naruto righteously stuffed a large piece of chicken in his mouth and chewed obnoxiously. Itachi stared dryly as Mikoto giggled some more, her appearance not matching her age.

When Sasuke realized he wasn’t going to be chastised for his behavior, he relaxed and cautiously grabbed his food – after rescuing his chopsticks from Naruto’s side of the table. Naruto grinned and turned to speak to Mikoto.

She was covered in blood.

Naruto froze and tried not to see what he knew wasn’t there. From the corner of his eye he saw Itachi stab at his plate with a blood-stained kunai. Mikoto was still rubbing her face in attempts to brush the laughter away while watching Sasuke fondly. Her hand smeared blood across her cheek.

Naruto directed his vision to his plate as he stared wide eyed, trying not to see her blood trailing along the floor to his feet.

“Are you alright?” Itachi asked quietly as Mikoto, Fugaku, and Sasuke started talking about Sasuke’s classes at the academy. He watched Naruto tense up and shut his eyes, struggling to keep his breathing even.

“Sorry, I need to step outside for a just a minute.” Naruto thought he said, not quite able to hear his own words. He could hear Sasuke screaming at him, telling him he didn’t know what loss was. The hole Sasuke put in Naruto’s chest at the Valley of the End may have healed physically, but he could still feel it trying to tear itself back open.

Sasuke’s family is _dead._

 _Sasuke_ was dead.

_Was any of this real?_

He saw Sasuke grab hold of him from where he was lying on the ground, unable to breathe. There were sounds of battle around him as Sasuke hoisted him up and sprinted to a small room they’d dug out in the side of the cave they were hiding in. An ear-splitting scream resounded throughout the narrow tunnels. Sasuke’s Eternal Mangekyo flashed in concern at Naruto as he sealed the path behind them, temporarily halting any pursuers. He slapped a bloody hand against a large scroll on the wall adorned with a seal more complicated than Naruto believed had ever been created before. The lines of ink intersected elegantly in complex arrays.

The blood dripped down them in long crimson stripes.

“Naruto, you need to breathe.” Sasuke said. A hand gently rubbed his back. “Focus on your breathing, I’m going to count to ten – breathe with the numbers.”

Naruto internally counted along with Sasuke, taking breaths as deep as he could between each number. The smell of moss and blood was overpowering. The blood caught in his throat as he choked. He looked up at Sasuke.

Itachi looked back.

“Naruto, stay in the present with me. You’re here with me in the garden outside of my house. We were here for dinner, do you remember?”

Naruto nodded once, breaths still coming too fast as his chest seemed to constrict in pain. He kept his eyes locked on Itachi, his only anchor to the present as his past tried to sear itself onto his mind.

Itachi’s eyes were kind. Sasuke always said that kindness couldn’t save anyone – not in this world.

But what world was that? Wasn’t he somewhere else now? Itachi’s kindness had already saved him once.

Maybe Sasuke was wrong.

Itachi continued counting slowly as Naruto breathed, his hands gently massaging Naruto’s shoulders.

Debris and dust kicked up into the air from battle burned Naruto’s eyes. Sasuke was saying something again. What did he say?

Why couldn’t he hear him?

“Naruto, do you need anything?” Itachi asked, his eyes betraying his worry. Naruto shook his head, unwilling to try and talk. He desperately held onto Itachi’s shoulder to stay upright. He remembered the sounds he made as he fell – the ragged breaths that filled his lungs with blood, slowly drowning him.

He continued focusing on Itachi as his past blew away with each sharp breath.

His breathing skimmed the edges of normal. The exhaustion took over as the adrenaline began to fade.

He wasn’t sure how long they’d sat there.

Naruto slumped back against the large tree he stumbled to in his escape from the house, taking deep breaths with only the occasional hitch. He closed his eyes and tried to see nothing.

Itachi settled beside him, waiting patiently for Naruto to regain his composure.

Naruto listened to the rustling of the leaves around him and the songs of the birds in the trees as he breathed.

One – two – three -

The sheen on sweat on his skin felt cold as the breeze swept past. He could smell the damp earth he was sitting on, a natural scent he’d enjoyed since he was a child.

 - four – five – six –

Itachi was a steady presence at his side, quiet and reliable. Naruto didn’t know why Itachi put up with him.

 - seven – eight – nine –

He was so tired.

\- ten.

“Ha, thanks Itachi.” Naruto huffed shakily. “That was a little embarrassing.” He kept his eyes closed as he continued focusing on the world around him. He could feel Itachi’s gaze wash over him.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’ve been in similar situations.” His voice was low and gentle, somehow managing to stay in harmony with the high-pitched songs of the birds above them.  Naruto opened his eyes.

Itachi watched him with understanding etched on his young face. Not for the first time, Naruto wondered what Itachi must have been through in this world.

“Sorry, I probably ruined dinner.” Naruto said softly, trying to dispel his introspection. Itachi shrugged.

“Not really. You managed to make it pretty far before you lost control. My family didn’t see anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Naruto grinned tiredly. “I just _really_ hate it when people worry about me. I used to be flattered at the attention, but over the past few years I’ve come to hate it. Everyone was always treating me like I was about to break since the extraction.  I couldn’t stand it.”

“It just means that they cared about you.”

“Yeah, well, maybe they shouldn’t have.” Naruto bit out. “Look where it got them.”

Itachi watched a squirrel clamber up a tree a few meters away. He drew a knee up to his chest.

“Being the one left behind is the worst feeling I’ve ever known.” Itachi admitted. “I think it’s easier to be the one leaving, to have that bit of control – selflessly getting what you want, in a way.” He glanced at Naruto’s careful expression. “My best friend died a few years ago, and to this day I know things could have ended differently if he’d have let himself choose a more difficult path. He chose to die to guarantee my success and survival rather than risk being the only one of us to live and then deal with the guilt. He could have chosen another way – things aren’t always so black and white.” He set his head back against the rough bark of the tree, mussing his hair in the process. He sighed and pulled a few blades of grass from the ground.

Naruto’s heart ached when he realized they both shared the same selfishness.

“Being alone sucks.” Naruto summed up. Itachi snorted softly from his side.

“It does.” He agreed. “But I don’t think that we have to keep being alone. Not anymore.” He said, keeping his eyes on Naruto.

Naruto smiled wryly, having said many similar lines when he was younger and more optimistic.

He bumped shoulders with Itachi and said, “I hope you’re right.”

Itachi leaned forward against his knee, watching Naruto as his smile grew wider and his eyes started to lose their bitter edge.

Impulsively, he moved in towards an oblivious Naruto.

“Itachi-nii! Naruto!” Sasuke hollered back from the house. “Where are you? I’m going to eat your food if you don’t come back soon!”

Startled, Itachi reeled back from Naruto, wondering what exactly he was thinking.

It was a futile thought, however, because he knew what he just tried and _he is an idiot._

Itachi grimaced at both himself and Sasuke, knowing the interruption was a good thing considering the circumstances – but also aware that he wanted to go through with it.

His eyes fell to Naruto’s lips.

“Don’t you dare touch my food, you punk!” Naruto shouted half-heartedly back at Sasuke, not visible from where they were sitting. He looked back to Itachi and jerked his head in the direction of the house. “It’s about time we head back, huh? I guess I’m not making much of an impression on your parents, just up and leaving like that.” He shook the dirt off of his clothing as he shakily stood up. His eyes were still lined with exhaustion and his movements lacked their usual finesse – which was saying something considering how rough they were to begin with.

Itachi shook his head – at himself or Naruto, he’s not sure. “It’ll be fine. They go on outings with the other clan heads fairly regularly, and every time they come back they look as though they’ve battled through the end of the world, wounds and all. I’m sure your stepping out for a few minutes is fairly tame on their scale of offense.”

Naruto grinned weakly as he grabbed Itachi’s arm and helped him up from the ground.  Itachi didn’t bother stopping himself as he stared.

“Are you alright to go back in there?” Itachi somehow managed to ask, despite the new thoughts rampaging through his head. “Was there some sort of trigger that made you panic earlier?”

Naruto bit his lip. “I’ll be fine. I think now that it happened, it’s done with. I hope. At least I don’t think it will be that bad again – It was just – It just happens sometimes, that’s all.”

Itachi frowned, crushing the urge to reach out. “You have panic attacks often?”

“Panic attacks? No, no. I think this has just been building up for a while. Sometimes I just… get stuck in a memory, you know? This one just… bled into reality a little more than they usually do.” He winced at his choice of words, the image of blood still lingering in his head.  “But thanks, Itachi. I really wasn’t handling myself very well – if you weren’t there I’d probably be much worse off.” Naruto grinned and lightly grasped Itachi’s shoulder as they reached the porch of the house. Itachi leaned into the touch.

The exhaustion never quite left Naruto’s face, but his spirits were starting to look up.

Itachi wondered how he could smile so easily when his entire world was destroyed not three weeks ago. He wondered what kind of scum it made _him_ to let his teenage hormones get the best of him when it was probably the last thing Naruto needed. He examined Naruto’s broad shoulders and the curve at the small of his back.

Being a teenager was terrible.

Mikoto smiled warmly at them as they walked back into the kitchen, any curiosity she might have carefully hidden away. Itachi and Naruto’s plates were filled with food that wasn’t there when they left – probably to keep it safe from Sasuke’s endless appetite. Fugaku was absent from the table.

“Fugaku had to take care of some business – he won’t be gone long.” She explained at Itachi’s questioning glance.

Naruto winced as he spoke. “I’m sorry I ran off like that, I just – um – didn’t feel too great for a minute there.”

“You _were_ looking a bit pale. I was going to see after you myself – but Itachi insisted on going. Are you feeling better now?” Mikoto asked, concern lacing her voice. Naruto plopped down on the cushion in front of where his plate was still sitting on the table, full of food. Itachi followed suit, ignoring Sasuke’s blatantly curious stare.

“Yeah, much better. I hope I didn’t ruin dinner?”

“Not at all – you wouldn’t believe how often Itachi or Sasuke sneak off when we stop paying attention for a moment.  At least you had the courtesy to announce yourself.” She spoke teasingly. Both of the mentioned boys conveniently found something interesting to look at as their mother spoke of their misbehavior.  “My husband and I gave up trying to instill table manners in them after Minato-san started eating dinner with us regularly. That man is so eccentric these days I think he forgets himself sometimes. I suppose he picked that up from Kushina – she was always so whimsical and carefree.” She twirled a long strand of black hair between her slim fingers.

“So he wasn’t always – uh, eccentric?” Naruto asked while picking at his food, his appetite long gone.

“No, he used to be very… straight-laced, I suppose you can say – in a good way. However, he _has_ always been a romantic. That much hasn’t changed.” She glanced between Naruto’s full plate and Itachi. Itachi subtly shook his head at her. “So Naruto-kun, what are you planning on doing if you’re set on staying here in Konoha?”

“Eh? What do you – oh. You mean I _can’t_ mooch off of Itachi forever?” He pouted, and pondered to himself. Mikoto watched curiously as Itachi appeared as though he was going to comment, but drew back into himself. “I guess I can sell custom fuinjutsu scrolls? Or maybe I’ll write a book.” Naruto chewed the end of a chopstick.

Eyes still on Itachi, Mikoto watched him watch Naruto.

“You could always become a Konoha shinobi – I know Minato-san has been looking for someone willing to teach basic fuinjutsu to academy students.”

“I – I can be a Konoha shinobi?” Naruto asked, bewildered. “I’m not even from here!”

“Yeah, he’s not even from here.” Sasuke grumbled from where he was eyeing Naruto’s full plate.  

“It doesn’t happen too often, but villages do occasionally take in rogue ninja as long as they don’t have a suspicious background or affiliations – they have to pledge an oath to the Hokage as well as participate in a duel with a jounin in order to gauge their abilities.” Itachi said, watching Naruto’s expression change between bewildered, thoughtful, and then nervous.

“D-d-duel?” Naruto stuttered. “I’m really, uh, not sure I want to fight anybody. Writing a book sounds great to me! Maybe I should start learning how to write one.” He laughed nervously.

Naruto was sure he’d do something stupid if he fought with someone. Like use the Rasengan or Kage Bunshin – two techniques he’s grown overly dependent on – two techniques he shouldn’t know. He could explain away using the Kage Bunshin by saying he saw someone use it before, but the Rasengan? Not a chance. He’d have to train by himself first and learn to control the urge to use them.

But the thought of becoming a Konoha shinobi again – that rattled at something stuck deep within him.

“It wouldn’t be a real fight. Your opponent would only push far enough to determine what your level was.” Itachi remarked, misinterpreting why Naruto didn’t want to fight. Sasuke muttered something under his breath while smirking to himself, eyes still on Naruto’s plate. Mikoto gave him a stern look, sobering him up quickly.

Naruto hunched over. “Maybe eventually. I think I’d need to get back into shape before doing anything like that anyways.” He stared sadly at his bony wrist. Even before the coma he’d been doing nothing but working on that damned seal most of the time.

“You can start coming out with me in the mornings now that you’ve healed.” Itachi innocently suggested. “I haven’t been doing anything too strenuous since I’m on ‘ _vacation_ ’.”

Naruto squinted at Itachi, wondering if it would be safe or not to accept his offer.

“You don’t let _me_ train with you.” Sasuke complained.

“I help you train all the time.” Itachi refuted.

“No, you help me get better at the things they teach at the academy, you haven’t _trained_ me at all.”

“I’ll teach you some things when you’re a genin.” Itachi promised. “Besides, I know Father has been teaching you ninjutsu already.”

Sasuke continued to grumble.

“You complain a lot.” Naruto told Sasuke. Naruto’s Sasuke mostly restricted his complaints to various glares and vaguely threatening gestures.

“I’m afraid he’s become incredibly spoiled over the years.” Mikoto sighed. “Itachi’s the worst – dotes on him constantly.” Itachi shrugged while Sasuke glared at Naruto.  Naruto covered a smile.

Fugaku walked back into the room as Sasuke was about to retort. He closed his mouth with an audible click.

“I apologize for leaving so suddenly – I received an urgent message from the Police Force. Needless to say, it wasn’t as urgent as they initially thought.” He said, tone _almost_ dry.

Naruto was about to apologize himself before Itachi spoke up. “It’s quite alright, Father. It’s probably time for us to head back to my apartment – I need to speak with Yondaime-sama before it gets dark.” He turned to Sasuke. “Go get what you need if you’re still planning on camping out in the living room.” Sasuke jumped up from the table and sprinted around a corner.

Fugaku nodded and turned his attention to Naruto. “I trust you’re feeling better?”

“Ah – yeah. I’m sorry I ran off like that. I wasn’t trying to be rude, especially since you’ve gone out of your way to have me here.”

Fugaku shook his head. “Don’t allow it to concern you – no offense has been taken. Perhaps the next time you join us for dinner we’ll have a chance to speak more.”

Naruto’s nerves turned into surprise at the subtle offer to join them for dinner again. He smiled lightly, staring at his untouched plate. The exhaustion from his panic attack didn’t feel so heavy anymore.

Mikoto continued watching Itachi watch Naruto – more like ogling, she noted – while inconspicuously taking a sip of tea. Sasuke ran back into the room, carrying way too much. Nobody said anything, but Naruto was sure Sasuke noticed the multiple bemused looks he got as he hunched up defensively, hoisting two large traveling packs on his back and a rolled up futon in his arms.

“Before you go - Itachi, I’d like to speak with you for a moment.” Fugaku said. He turned to Naruto. “It was a pleasure to meet you Uzumaki-san. I trust your health will only continue to improve.”

“Thanks – uh, thank you, Uchiha-san. Thanks again for having me here tonight.” He said to both Mikoto and Fugaku. Mikoto pulled Naruto into a full hug, catching him off guard. She kissed his cheek as she let him go.

“You two go on ahead without me,” Itachi said. “I’ll catch up.”

Sasuke pulled Naruto out the door as he gave his parents a haphazard farewell. Naruto frantically waved as Sasuke nearly slammed him into the doorframe.

The three remaining Uchiha took their seats at the table while simultaneously taking a sip of tea, stoic expressions firmly in place.

“You like him.” Fugaku bluntly stated. Itachi choked slightly while Mikoto looked at Fugaku in surprise.

“He is my friend; it would make sense that I like him.” Itachi evaded. The two adults each stared back, one nonplussed and the other amused.

 “I’m surprised you noticed, Fugaku. I didn’t notice until they came back inside.” Mikoto said.

Fugaku wisely withheld the fact that she was too busy laughing to notice much of anything.

“You’ve dated enough over the years for me to notice when you’re interested in someone – and you are interested. “ Fugaku continued impassively.

“He’s an interesting man.” Itachi tried in vain. 

“You let your guard down around him, Itachi – You rarely even do that around your brother anymore. I hardly recognized you tonight.”

“So because I’m comfortable around someone, it means I have romantic feelings for them?” Itachi retaliated. Fugaku watched him critically.

“Itachi, the way you look at him…” Mikoto trailed, her hands twisting in her lap.  

“He’s a man.” Itachi said in finality, staring down into his cup.

A small silence lingered before Fugaku spoke up. “Do you believe I would put the matter of heirs before your happiness?” Itachi remained silent, essentially confirming the statement. “I am aware I have not been the father you’ve needed me to be in the past, but first and foremost I desire only your happiness, Itachi. Tonight was the happiest I’ve seen you since Shisui passed – perhaps longer. I would hope I am not cruel enough to keep you from that.”

Mikoto smiled at her husband in fondness.

Itachi set his cup down. “It's nothing, Father. I like him, yes - but he has no such inclination towards me and he is still recovering from a significant loss. All I will ask from him is his friendship.” Itachi thought about his mistake earlier, as he lent in to kiss Naruto.

Thoughtlessly, he brushed a finger over his lips.

Mikoto sighed. “Oh my son, there is nothing wrong with keeping his friendship – nor is there anything wrong with waiting for the right moment to begin a relationship, if you so choose. Your father is right, you were happy tonight. We’ve always worried about you, how seriously you take everything – Naruto brings out another side of you. You deserve to have something in your life other than fulfilling the expectations your family and the village have of you. What your father has been trying to say is that we support you in whatever you choose to do, no matter the outcome – in any situation, not just your love-life.” She grinned. “Although I must admit, I do approve of this one. Chie-san had an elegance to her I admired, but Naruto-kun is full of life – a characteristic I’ve always envied other people for.” Slyly, she added, “Also, I believe he thinks more highly of you than you’re aware.”

Itachi sighed and rubbed his face, avoiding eye contact. “Is this all you needed to talk to me about?”

“That was all.” Fugaku confirmed. As Itachi stood to leave, Fugaku added, “It was good to see you again, Itachi. It’s been far too long.”

Itachi paused for a beat too long before nodding and disappearing through the front door.

“Itachi has finally become a teenager.” Mikoto sighed dramatically, eyes twinkling in amusement. “I was worried he was going to be stuck as an old man forever.”  Fugaku kept his gaze lowered on the table.

“I raised him too cautiously.” He said. Mikoto moved a hand over his arm, leaning in close. “He has exceeded every expectation we have ever had of him – he is a respectable and powerful shinobi, a dutiful son, and soon to be an influential clan leader. He will help this village and our clan grow in ways that I could never have hoped to achieve.” He grasped his wife’s hand. “But there are some very important things that cannot be gained through achievement alone. If this Uzumaki boy can help Itachi find himself – I will owe him a great debt.”

Mikoto rested her head on Fugaku’s shoulder, their tea long forgotten.

“Itachi is still a child, Fugaku. Despite how fun it is to tease him, Naruto-kun is likely one crush out of many to come. Although, I do like him. He reminds me so much of Kushina - it feels as if a part of her lived on in him, somehow.” She smiled into his shoulder. Fugaku wrapped an arm around his wife, drawing her closer.

“I’m uncertain why, but he reminds me more of Minato-san.” Fugaku solemnly admitted. They both paused as a thought crossed their mind, neither wanting to bring it life with their words.

“Minato-san has appeared to be in good spirits lately, but I wonder how he really feels underneath all of that cheer?” Mikoto sighed.  Fugaku hummed as he wondered.

“He knows we’re here if he needs us,” was the only reply. 

 

* * *

 

Itachi tried to scrub away the embarrassment as he walked towards the Hokage’s tower. The fact that he’s developed feelings for someone so quickly is one thing – the fact that other people are able to see it so easily is a distressing thought.  Itachi always prided himself on his ability for subterfuge. If he wasn’t able to keep one simple emotion in check, what did that say about him?

Maybe the emotion wasn’t such a simple one after all. His dating experiences in the past had been somewhat limited, he was now realizing. Usually when a girl he was aware his parents would approve of showed interest in him, he’d reciprocate.  He’d never been attracted to someone before they showed attraction to him.

Maybe he’d never really been interested in any of them. Maybe he’d only dated to satisfy the expectation that he would eventually get married and continue the clan legacy.

Maybe in some sick way he just enjoyed the attention.

He knew for a fact he never relaxed so easily around any of his past girlfriends as he seemed to naturally do around Naruto.

He thought about his last girlfriend, her sly smile and quick wit. She had a lean figure which complimented her graceful movements. She was intelligent and would undoubtedly soon advance to jounin. In many ways she made the ideal partner – attentive, attractive, independent – Itachi wondered why he wasn’t able to fall in love with her.

He thought about how he felt when she broke up with him – or rather how he didn’t feel. Chie seemed more upset by his lack of reaction than she did by the break up. Itachi accepted her words dutifully, internally rearranging his schedule to exclude her – only feeling a slight disappointment throughout the process.

He wondered if that made him a terrible person.  

He thought about Naruto – His honest eyes: always parading his every emotion at anyone and everything, despite his useless efforts to hide them. His smile: too honest in his joy or sorrow. His easy nature: impossible to hate, despite his childishness and unease of the world around him.

And his mysterious past – which Itachi has been tasked to unravel.

He hoped that Naruto’s decision to remain in Konoha would encourage him to speak more freely about himself. He hoped that Naruto didn’t have any connection with Kushina beyond being an Uzumaki and having been a jinchurinki – a fact that still astounded him. Itachi hoped that the Yondaime’s paranoia was simply that. He wanted everything to stay simple – to stay _easy_. To have Naruto continue living with him – to have him continue badgering Sasuke, littering his apartment with failed fuinjutsu, to come home to a warm welcome and honest smile.

Was that selfish?

He furrowed his brows as he jumped into the Hokage’s office, coming face to face with a troubled Yondaime and an unusually attentive Kakashi.  

“Itachi, good timing. Do you have any information for us?” The Yondaime immediately asked, formalities set aside.

“Has Tsunade-sama spoken to you yet?” Itachi pressed.

“No, I imagine we’ve both been too holed up for the day to get in contact. Why? Did something happen at the hospital? Has Naruto’s condition…”

“Naruto is fine.” Itachi affirmed. “However, he did reveal the cause of his condition.” He paused briefly, rearranging the thoughts in his head. “Yondaime-sama, Naruto-kun was a Jinchurinki.”


	5. Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi is not a fan of feelings.

Minato and Kakashi traded concerned glances at Itachi’s words, a grim realization settling on their faces.

Concerned – but not incredibly surprised, Itachi noted.

Minato scratched something out on a scroll, the lines under his eyes deepening with each line on paper.

“I’ve had Kakashi do some very subtle poking around over the past couple days, and I’ve contacted a few people myself. It’s too soon to confirm, but it appears as though Jinchurinki – and their bijuu – may have been disappearing over the course of several years. The only verified locations we currently have of bijuu are within Suna and Kumo. As information regarding the location of bijuu is sometimes kept confidential we can’t confirm that other villages don’t have any, however there have been significantly less rumors and sightings of Jinchurinki and bijuu floating around within the past decade.”

Minato frowned, examining the paper in front of him. His eyes closed with an emotion Itachi couldn’t place. “So Naruto-kun was a Jinchurinki…” he said softly, his connection between Kushina and Naruto established.

Itachi nodded, stoically processing the troubling new information.

“He survived the extraction.” Minato said, a despondent smile on his face, his thoughts elsewhere. “I’m glad.” His features sharpened as he got back to business. “Did he say anything about the people who captured him?”

“He said that they were dead. He didn’t elaborate beyond that.”

“We need more information – Naruto-kun may be our best chance to understand what’s happening. If there is truly someone out there collecting bijuu… We need all the information we can get before this goes too far. We need the information before our only known primary source of information disappears.”

Itachi hurriedly interrupted the Yondaime before he could continue. “I don't believe that Naruto leaving will be an issue anymore, Yondaime-sama. He’s decided to stay in Konoha.”

Surprised, Minato snapped his head up to look at Itachi. “He said that?”

“Yes. He said that he didn’t have anything to go back to. I’ve already let him know he’s welcome to stay with me as long as he likes. He's already been considering potential jobs.” Itachi carefully avoided mentioning the fact that it was his mother who brought the topic up.

Minato dropped his head back to scan the ceiling for answers.

“In some ways that will make what we need to do more difficult. Don’t misunderstand – it will help us in the long run, however at the moment we cannot allow ourselves to _depend_ on the long run. If something to this extent is truly happening under our noses, we need to act with haste. We need answers from Naruto-kun regardless of his willingness to talk.” Minato closed his eyes. “Hopefully he will feel indebted to us enough to answer our questions without much pressure. And I will admit – if we go about this correctly – He may prove to be an invaluable ally.”

“And if we don’t go about it correctly?” Kakashi ventured.

“Then we may be creating our own enemy. Or an obstacle at the very least.” The Yondaime concluded. “Despite the rapport we’ve created with Naruto-kun, despite the fact that we’ve essentially _saved his life_ – it’s rather apparent to me that Naruto-kun is a little…”

“…Unhinged?” Kakashi tentatively suggested. Itachi frowned at the unflattering description.

Minato glanced briefly at Kakashi. “Not exactly the word I would use, but yes – something isn’t quite right about him.” He cracked his neck sideways, the joints popping audibly. “He sometimes seems… disconnected from reality.” Minato tried. “His eyes tell stories that run deeper than grief.”

Kakashi remained still.

Itachi shifted his weight. “What are you implying?”

“I’m not sure.” He admitted. “He is clearly troubled by what happened to his group, but I’m certain he has a story he has yet to put a close to. The fact that he so suddenly decided to stay in Konoha after how adamant he’s been to leave – it doesn’t sit well with me. That sort of passion doesn’t just _disappear,_ regardless of rationality.” He let out a shaky breath. “We still need to get everything we can out of him as soon as possible. With his decision to stay in the village, it means we will need to be swift _and_ delicate. We can’t allow him to become suspicious before he is willing to talk. If we scare him off after all of the progress we’ve made befriending him… ”

He tapped his foot on the ground as he thought. Itachi’s frown deepened.

“Did Naruto-kun say which bijuu was extracted from him?” Minato suddenly asked. Itachi shook his head.

“He only said that it had been sealed in him when he was born.”

Minato hummed to himself, allowing the heavy topic to drop after a long moment. “I really am glad that he’s decided to stay – he’s a good kid. He deserves some stability in his life after everything that he’s been through. I have my reservations about his motives, but he has yet to give me a reason to consider him a threat.” He rubbed his temples.

“Speaking of, Itachi-kun,” Kakashi finally spoke up. “Did Naruto-kun specifically say he was staying in Konoha indefinitely? Or did it seem as though he still had plans to move on eventually?”

“He didn’t explicitly say either. However, he did say if he figured out what he needed to do in the future, he could always ‘bother me for help’. I’m under the impression that means he doesn’t intend on leaving anytime soon. I’ll get a clear answer from him later.” After Kakashi’s nod, Itachi continued. “Although when it comes to getting answers out of Naruto, Kakashi-san, I hear you have some leverage.”

Kakashi massaged the back of his neck at Minato’s curious look. “Maa, I was hoping to get some answers about what his group was doing and why they were killed, but I suppose if he’s unwilling to talk about the extraction – that might be a little more pressing at the moment.” He sighed woefully.

“And how exactly do you have ‘leverage’ on Naruto-kun?” Minato asked in suspicion.

“We made a little trade the other day when I sent Itachi over.” He said evasively, drooping a little. “I’d rather keep this over him for a while if possible. Sensei, if you tell him about Kushina and the Kyuubi, he might talk about his experience on his own.”

Minato tilted his head in contemplation.

“I suppose we’ll have to see. Itachi, you seem to be getting along very well with Naruto, so keep at it. I’ll stop by tomorrow to talk to him if I can – I still have a several things here I need to wrap up.” Minato said while resuming his work.

Kakashi perked up at the mention of Itachi getting along with Naruto and leered over at him.

Itachi ignored him, choosing instead to watch a bee repeatedly slam itself into a closed window and pretend it was Kakashi. After his parents and the latest information, Kakashi was the last thing he needed to deal with.

Kakashi was pretty much always the last thing he needed to deal with.

“I’ll keep you informed if anything else comes up, Yondaime-sama.” Itachi said in finality as he turned to leave.

“Thank you, Itachi. I’ll be in touch.”

 

* * *

  

 _I should have made him go to the grocery store with me,_ Itachi thought in exasperation as he tracked Naruto across the city the following day. Fortunately for him, his target wasn’t really trying to hide himself.

Itachi supposed he should consider himself lucky Naruto hadn’t vanished off into the city sooner – he seemed to be the restless type. He jumped down from the rooftops into the street in front of the academy. The very same academy Sasuke should probably be getting out of at about this time. Itachi staggered to a halt as he found Naruto surrounded by a gaggle of students.

“Yes, love is definitely in your future – not too far off either!” Naruto spoke sagely while examining Nara Shikamaru’s palm.

Yamanaka Ino screeched from Shikamaru’s side, making the kid flinch in irritation. “No way! Shikamaru is the _least_ romantic person on the planet. What type of girl would ever want to get stuck with him?”

Naruto nodded slowly while squinting his eyes and dragging Shikamaru’s palm closer to his face, pulling the boy forward in the process. The irritation on Shikamaru’s face evolved to exasperation.

“Yes, yes. I can see it now. Your future soulmate is going to be a sexy blonde bombshell who can totally kick your ass. She’s incredibly blunt and has no problem dragging you around no matter how much you complain, which won’t be too much ‘cuz you’re totally going to have the hots for her. Also you’re probably going to meet her around the time of the next chunin exams.”

The girls started squealing amongst each other while Shikamaru sighed.

“That’s oddly specific.” Shikamaru drawled, uninterested.

“Well I am the greatest fortune teller this world has ever seen. I think I said that earlier, right? Or was it love guru? I dabble in both in my free time.” Naruto bragged, releasing Shikamaru’s captive palm – much to Shikamaru’s relief.

Sasuke, standing behind Naruto, was busy pretending he didn’t know him. He saw Itachi start to walk towards them and frantically waved him over in a desperate plea for help.

“Nii-san, _help,_ ”  

Itachi took in the small group with an amused glance, catching Naruto’s eye. Naruto brightened when he saw him. Yamanaka Ino and a pink haired girl Itachi vaguely recalled as Haruno Sakura blushed deeply when they saw him, giggling something incoherently to each other. Itachi smiled politely at them as he reached his brother and Naruto.

Naruto smiled sheepishly, “Sorry I just sort of took off, I got _really_ bored and I knew it was about time for Sasuke to get out of school.”

Itachi shrugged. “It’s fine. Maybe a note would be nice next time, though.” Naruto laughed and scratched his head abashedly.

“Wait – Naruto! You haven’t read our palms yet!” Ino interrupted while glancing shyly over in Itachi’s direction. “It’s good to see you again, Itachi-san. It’s been a while since you’ve been by the academy.”

“Oi, that’s rude. You’ve been screeching at me this whole time, but with Itachi it’s all politeness, huh?” Naruto complained before Itachi could greet her in return.

Sakura spoke up, “You jumped out of the bushes and tackled Sasuke-kun while shouting ‘ _My little Sasuke-chan is too young for a girlfriend! Definitely way too young for_ two _girlfriends!_ ’ when we were walking with him out of the academy.”

“Well, Sasuke is certainly too young for two girlfriends.” Itachi confirmed, holding his chin in contemplation.

“ _Don’t encourage him._ ” Sasuke snapped at his brother. Shikamaru looked at Sasuke with empathy.

Ino held her palm out in front of Naruto’s face.

“If _Shikamaru_ of all people is going to get a girlfriend, I’m going to be getting a boyfriend soon too, right?”

Naruto made a face before taking her hand. “Alright, alright, let’s see what we have here.” He squinted and hummed dramatically. Sasuke and Itachi traded glances. “Your future love-life…  It’ll take you a while to find who you’re looking for, but he’s out there. He’s really terrible with emotions, so don’t give him too much of a hard time – he’s a good guy where it counts. Probably.”

Ino blinked once. Then she blinked again.

“That was the _worst palm reading_ I’ve ever heard in my life! What do you mean it’ll take me a while to find him? And what does he look like? Shikamaru’s reading was way better than mine!”

Naruto sighed. “Well not _all_ readings can be that good, you know.”

Sakura shoved Ino to the side, causing her to squawk indignantly.

“My turn!” She said, glancing shyly at Itachi and Sasuke. Sasuke proceeded to pretend he didn’t know any of them.

Naruto grinned and looked at her palm, not bothering with dramatic effect anymore. Sakura blushed as she imagined her future as Uchiha Sakura.

“You’re going to fall in love with the person you literally least expect. It’ll probably take you punching him through a few dozen walls before you realize it was meant to be – but it’ll be more than worth the wait! Oh, you’ll probably also meet him around the time of the chunin exams. Yeah.” Naruto decided to leave it at that. He smiled proudly at her blank gaze.

“That was awful too!” Ino and Sakura shouted together as they both turned to determinedly stare at the Uchiha boys.

Shikamaru spotted Chouji and Kiba walking towards them and crossed his arms in front of him to form a large X in warning, his eyes wide. They turned on their heels and high-tailed it out of there. Shikamaru slowly began backing away, making sure to stay out of Ino’s line of vision.

“Read Sasuke-kun’s palm!” Sakura demanded, the ire in her voice rising. Sasuke bristled and took a half step behind Itachi. Naruto grinned maniacally.

“No need, I already know who Sasuke’s heart belongs to.” Sakura and Ino looked up at Naruto with faces full of hope while Sasuke’s filled with dread. Itachi hid a smile. “It’s a tragic love that can never be, but Sasuke-kun was made for _me_!” Naruto sang, spinning around to grab Sasuke in a fierce bear-hug, yanking him off the ground.

Red crept up to his ears as Sasuke thrashed violently in a futile effort to escape the prison of Naruto's arms.

“Naruto! I’m going to _murder_ you, you idiot!” He screamed in Naruto’s ear.

Naruto smiled cheerfully, blissfully ignorant of the three murderous auras focused intently on him as he spun Sasuke around.

Sakura and Ino nodded to each other, raised their fists and _charged_.

Miraculously, Naruto found himself atop of a roof holding air, a cheerful smile still plastered on his face and Itachi’s hand clasped in a tight grip around his bicep.

“Wow, Itachi. You’re really fast.” Naruto praised. Itachi raised a brow at him and looked down at the three bewildered and potentially lethal children below.

“Sorry. Naruto has just recovered from some terrible injuries; right now isn’t the best time to use him as a punching bag. If something bad happens to him, Yondaime-sama will be angry at me.”

“But _Nii-san_!” Sasuke complained from where he was unceremoniously dropped. Naruto laughed a bit too cheerfully.

“Like these tiny people could actually hurt me!” he said. A kunai whizzed centimeters past his left ear. “You missed!” He happily informed Sakura.

Itachi sighed as the three students pulled out more weapons.

“What do you know about romance anyways?” Ino shouted up at him, still stuck on her palm reading.

“Yeah! I bet you’ve never even kissed anyone before!” Sakura shouted, her red face clashing with her pink hair. Realizing who he was stuck with, Sasuke started backing away before they realized he was the easier prey.

“Yes I have!” Naruto shouted indignantly back down at the girls, almost slipping off the roof in the process. “In fact I got my first kiss when I was twelve! I bet neither of you have ever kissed anyone!”

 _That will shut them up,_ Naruto smugly thought.

Itachi idly wondered if he should knock Naruto out and make a run for it before things got worse.

“Who would kiss you?!” Ino questioned, hands on her hips.

“I bet you’re lying.” Sakura accused. “No way would someone let you kiss them.” She nodded wisely, crossing her arms.

“Hey, that’s mean, Sakura-chan.” Naruto whined.

Ino flipped her long hair. “So let’s hear about it – your first kiss.” She grinned maliciously.

Naruto opened his mouth to speak and his eye twitched as he remembered what actually happened.

“Ugh.” His face contorted. “I’ve tried so hard to banish that memory from my head.” He covered his eyes with his hands as if to block the image from view. “It was an accident! He pushed me into him!” Naruto hollered in denial, pointing at nothing.

Ino and Sakura looked at each other, slowly turning their heads back to Naruto.

“ _Him?_ ” They asked, suddenly very interested. Itachi watched in amusement as even Sasuke halted his cautious retreat to look at Naruto.

“Yeah, my best friend. Or I guess he was my rival at the time. I was – you know – doing rival stuff like annoying the crap out of him and suddenly WHAM – faces smashed together.” Naruto slammed his hands together in demonstration. “It was so gross, let me tell you – no one should _ever_ be forced to kiss their rival. I’m pretty sure he tried to kill me about a dozen times that week. The _girls_ probably tried to kill me about a hundred times that _day_ for ‘stealing’ his first kiss.” He paused. “You two kind of remind me of them.”

Sasuke marched back up to where the girls were now giggling together at Naruto’s story, their hostility temporarily forgotten. He pointed up at Naruto.

“I knew it! You _are_ trying to seduce Itachi-nii to get his money!” He declared out of the blue.

Naruto blinked. “What? I’m really not seeing how you jumped to that conclusion from what I said.”

Itachi didn’t either, but he wouldn’t have minded if it was true.

“Nii-san! Don’t fall for it! He’s just using you!” Sasuke hollered at Itachi.

“It’s too late, little brother. We’re already engaged, remember?” Itachi crouched down on the roof next to Naruto. Naruto snickered as Sasuke started stammering.

Sasuke had tried so hard to forget the previous night’s conversation. 

Sakura and Ino were suspiciously bright eyed as they looked between Itachi and Naruto. Naruto suddenly remembered his Sakura-chan’s reaction to Konohamaru’s ‘special’ sexy technique. A chill ran up his spine as he realized what they were probably thinking about.

“Perverts!” He righteously pointed at the two girls. “I know what’s going through your heads! I’ve been around enough super perverts to know these things!”

Neither of the girls even tried to deny it as they descended into another fit of giggles.

Sasuke, realizing he was in enemy territory once again, started to back away. _Much_ more quickly this time.

With possibly the best (or worst) timing ever, Umino Iruka walked out of the academy doors and stared at the scene in front of him.

“Is… something going on here?”

Naruto brightened up and waved cheerfully at Iruka, while Itachi grabbed the collar of Naruto’s shirt and steadied him before he fell down.

“Just checking in on Sasuke, Umino-san. We were just about to leave.” Itachi said as he gave a short wave and hurriedly pulled a protesting Naruto with him as he leapt away to another building.

Iruka then proceeded to stare at a hastily retreating Uchiha Sasuke and two girls whispering wickedly to each other, a terrifying gleam in their eyes.

He turned around and walked back into the academy. 

 

* * *

 

“I wasn’t done with them yet, Itachi.” Naruto complained as they walked down the street after their successful ‘escape’. Itachi didn’t roll his eyes, but it was a close thing.

“No, they didn’t seem to be done with you either. That was a bit more concerning to me.” He said blandly, Naruto huffing in response. “So your first kiss was with Sasuke?” Itachi asked, his even tone attempting to imply no interest in the subject _whatsoever_.

Naruto’s face fell. “I never should have said anything.” He deadpanned, eye twitching.

“Hm, no. Probably not.” Itachi agreed. “That wasn’t the only kiss you’ve had, was it?” he pried, unable to bother masking his interest anymore.

Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets and grumbled to himself before speaking. “I dated a girl for a while, once. When I was about eighteen, I think.”

Itachi’s dark eyes sparked as he let his curiosity get the better of him. “What was she like?”

Naruto grinned at the memory. “She was great. A real sweet girl – I’d known her for a long time, but she was so quiet and shy I guess it took me a while to actually see her. Real pretty, with long black hair and really cool looking eyes.”

 Itachi wondered if that made him Naruto’s type. _He_ was quiet, had long dark hair, and he was pretty sure the sharingan counted as ‘cool looking’. He wasn’t sure he could be considered sweet or shy though.

 _Definitely not shy_ , he confirmed to himself as he glanced briefly at Naruto’s lips.     

“I don’t really know what happened to her. At one point the both of us were so busy we didn’t have time to see each other anymore – and then we just never saw each other again.” Naruto bit his lip as he thought. Itachi licked his own lips reflexively as he watched the motion, only half paying attention to Naruto’s words.  “It’s hard to believe that was so long ago.” He laughed briefly to cover up his sudden melancholy. “Man, I guess my dating history kind of sucks doesn’t it?”

Itachi tilted his head and smiled mischievously. “At least you haven’t been dumped by every single girl you’ve dated.” He reassured.

Naruto’s laugh fell short as he realized Itachi’s implication.

“No way? _You_? I refuse to believe that. If _you_ can’t keep a girlfriend, there’s no hope for me at all.”

“I’ve been thinking maybe next time I’ll try something a bit different. Maybe girls aren’t what I’m looking for.” He tried.

“Oh? Has a guy caught your eye? _Please_ tell me it isn’t Kakashi.”

Naruto’s obliviousness was built so thick around him Itachi suddenly felt very sorry for the poor girl Naruto dated in the past. Itachi smiled in resignation and figured it was for the best. He shouldn’t be wasting time with the only friend he had on a one-sided attraction.

“No, it is most definitely not Kakashi-san. In fact, on the list of people I would willingly choose to date, he’s so far off it he might as well not exist.”

Naruto sighed in relief. “Well then, who is it?” he pried as he elbowed Itachi in the ribs, earning a harried look.

“You’re in a good mood today, Naruto.” Itachi said instead.

“Ha, you noticed? That’s why I figured today would be a good day to get out and look around on my own. I’m not going to let anything get to me today!” he loudly declared, drawing a few stares from passersby. “Although, I admit there were some moments when I almost turned tail and ran like a baby when some old memories slammed into me from nowhere. But I can’t stay holed up in your apartment forever! Maybe only just about six days of the week.” He grinned cheekily at Itachi. “Seeing those kids – I think it helped me a little. I hope so, at least.” 

Itachi smiled, affection sweeping through him at Naruto’s optimism.

“You’re incredible – do you know that?” Itachi asked.  Baffled, Naruto stared at Itachi. “Despite everything that has happened to you, you keep moving forward, you keep _smiling_.” Giving into temptation, Itachi reached out and briefly cradled Naruto’s face in his hand.

He continued smiling, that same small genuine smile Naruto came to associate with Itachi alone.

Naruto traced his face where Itachi’s hand had rested, the area seemingly alive with electricity. He looked at Itachi questioningly, blue eyes flitting between the both of Itachi’s.

Itachi stared back; selfishly absorbed in the full attention Naruto was giving him. He thought about how easily he could move forward and close the distance between them –

Naruto smiled.

Somewhere, time was still moving; Itachi was fully aware of this as the world became static around them. Naruto’s smile was wide and impossibly sincere, and so genuinely _happy_ it left Itachi stunned.  

No one had ever looked at him like that before.

Naruto’s blue eyes held a rare kindness as he kept them trained on Itachi, not a trace of pain to be found.

“ _Thank you_ , Itachi.” He spoke; his voice so low it was almost lost in a whisper. “You’ve done a lot more for me than you know.”

Itachi’s breath stuttered – and if he wasn’t sure he was attracted to Naruto before, he was very certain of it now. As Naruto’s eyes left Itachi’s face, he felt as though someone viciously ripped a long strip of tape off of his heart.

He was in _way_ too deep.

Naruto flashed a small grin and continued walking ahead; releasing whatever black magic he’d placed on the both of them. Itachi’s eyes followed Naruto as he attempted to get his heart under control; the realization flashing through his mind that they were still in the middle of the street, surrounded by other people.

This was more than some simple crush.

How was it possible for someone he’d only known a couple of weeks to affect him like this?

He barely even _knew_ Naruto.

Right?

He walked after Naruto, his heart hammering at his ribcage.

He was in too deep. 

 

* * *

 

Kakashi fanned himself lethargically with his book as he stepped into the Ichiraku booth and took a seat beside his ‘eternal rival’ Maito Gai.

“My eternal rival! You’re – you’re suspiciously early.” He said, his enthusiasm rapidly dwindling down to suspicion. “What happened?” He checked Kakashi for head injuries.

Kakashi sighed as Gai manhandled him.

“I just saw something horrible, is all.” He said. Gai pulled out a flashlight from somewhere and shined it in Kakashi’s eye.  Kakashi’s eye twitched violently in response.

“Hmm, well you seem to be alright. What was this horrible thing that appeared before you?”

“Itachi-kun having _feelings_.” Kakashi moaned, his head falling to the table in horror. And it _was_ horrible. It was hilarious at first, Kakashi would admit, but then he remembered it was _Itachi_. Having _emotions_.

Gai looked over in confusion.

“Itachi-kun having feelings?” he echoed. “Could you possibly mean… has Itachi-kun finally awoken to the springtime of youth?!” He stood up excitedly, pumping a fist. “This is excellent news, my friend! We should go celebrate with him immediately! In honor of this day I shall commemorate Itachi-kun’s newfound youth with a song!” Gai tightly wrapped an overly-muscled arm around Kakashi’s neck, half pulling him off of his stool.

Kakashi hated his life. 

 

* * *

 

Naruto watched curiously as Itachi’s face changed expressions while he was lost in thought.

Alright, perhaps saying he changed his expression was a bit much, as all of his expressions were just varying degrees of stoicism, but Naruto could tell _something_ was bothering him. The whole lost in thought part gave him away – that in itself was very unusual for Itachi. Lost in a book wasn’t too weird, the giant nerd, but lost in _thought_?

Naruto plopped a potato chip in his mouth and chewed loudly, still staring unabashedly at Itachi. Itachi’s face seemed to redden slightly, almost as though he was blushing – _but nahh, Itachi’s hardly the blushing type_ , Naruto thought.

He gnashed another couple of chips between his teeth, narrowing his eyes in further examination. Was Itachi sweating? It wasn’t _that_ hot today.

He looked around the park where they’d managed to find a bench to sit on. It was a nice day with clear blue skies and big fluffy clouds – Naruto was sure Shikamaru was lying around somewhere staring upwards. A nice breeze kept the day cooler than the sun would have allowed otherwise and the humidity was low – so why was Itachi sweating?

Naruto brushed a stray piece of hair out of his eyes as he leaned in closer to Itachi for a better look.

“Naruto – _What are you doing_?” Itachi rushed out as he turned to see Naruto’s face inches from his own. He gave Naruto a baffled smile as he leaned back apprehensively.

“AHH!” Naruto shouted for no reason, throwing his arms up in exclamation and sending his bag of chips flying out behind him into a bush. “Itachi, are you sick?!” He pressed a greasy palm to Itachi’s forehead. “I think you have a fever! We need to go see Baachan right now!”

Itachi blinked slowly in confusion, wiping away the potato chip crumbs Naruto left on his forehead. 

“I’m not sick.” Itachi stated as Naruto started babbling incoherently.

“But – but, you were all dazed and red-faced and sweating!”

Itachi slammed a hand to his face. He was hopeless. If _Naruto_ could see that much, he was truly a lost cause.

“I’m not sick, I promise.” He consoled.

A voice that sounded suspiciously like Kakashi sang, ‘ _But you’re loooove sick’_.

Itachi hit himself _hard_ in the head, trying to get the voice out. Naruto’s concern ten-folded.

“I’ve just – been thinking.” _About you_. “That’s all. Just about – things.” He stared at the sliver of skin showing just beneath Naruto’s shirt. _Itachi’s_ shirt that Naruto was currently wearing. “Things. Yes.”

It was worse than he thought. He couldn’t even string coherent sentences together anymore.

“Maybe you should get some rest, Itachi.” Naruto said slowly, his expression growing more distressed every second.

Itachi thought about going to bed. And then he thought about _going to bed._

He lurched forward, hiding his head in shame. Naruto patted his back uncertainly, which _really_ wasn’t helping Itachi at the moment. 

 _So this is what my peers have been going through all these years_ , Itachi morosely thought. _I could have gone without it._

Naruto looked around nervously, wondering if he should call someone for help. Somehow sensing Naruto’s plans, Itachi grabbed his hand before he could do something stupid. Then he realized he just grabbed Naruto’s hand, which was _very stupid_.

Itachi stared at their joined hands, a blank expression on his face.

“I-Itachi?” Naruto called, unnerved by his complete lack of expression.

“AHA!” A young voice called out.

Naruto swiveled his head over to the bushes Sasuke popped out from, a potato chip resting precariously on his head and several thorn scratches adorning his face and clothing.

“I knew you were trying something!” Sasuke accused. Naruto gawked at him.

“Sasuke, I think Itachi is sick. Go get Tsunade-baachan!”

Itachi was still dazedly staring at their linked hands.

“What? Nii-san doesn’t get sick. I don’t think he’s ever been sick in his _life_. Stop making things up.” Sasuke crossed his arms and marched over to them, looking completely ridiculous all the while.

“Look at him!” Naruto said, gesturing at Itachi with his free hand.

Sasuke glanced briefly before starting to say something, and then did a double take as he realized Itachi _was_ acting really weird.

“Nii-san?” he asked nervously. When he got no response he traded concerned glances with a panicking Naruto. “ _Itachi-nii_.” He tried again.

When he got no response he grabbed Naruto’s and Itachi’s joined hands and pried them apart. Itachi continued to dazedly stare at his hand. 

Naruto and Sasuke both began to panic.

“What’s wrong with Itachi-nii?”

“I don’t know! I think he has a fever!”

“Is he breathing? Does he need CPR?”

“Yes – I need CPR.” Itachi said, suddenly very alert and staring intently at Naruto.

“Did someone say they needed CPR?!” a loud voice boomed across the park as Maito Gai – the Green Beast of Konoha – appeared in all his glory, dragging a worse for wear Kakashi behind him.

“I have certification to give CPR in life-threatening situations!” Gai proudly announced, flashing a remarkably white smile and a big thumbs up. “In fact, I have used these necessary skills several times during high-risk missions, successfully resuscitating my teammates each time! Kakashi can verify this fact for you!”

Kakashi _really_ hated his life.

“Itachi-nii said it!” Sasuke shouted frantically, gesturing at the now disappointed Itachi. “I think he’s having trouble breathing!”

“No, I’m fine.” He recited glumly, wishing the ground would swallow him up.

“But you just said you needed CPR.” Naruto pointed out, confused.

“It was a joke.” Itachi said cheerlessly. “My sense of humor needs work.”

Gai nodded in approval, “Improving one’s sense of humor is an excellent thing to strive for, Itachi-kun!”

Naruto grabbed Itachi’s shoulder and turned Itachi to face him. He squinted and leaned in close trying to see if he was still feeling sick. Itachi blanked out again.

“It happened again!” Naruto panicked.

“Nii-san!”

“Oh my! I believe he has experienced too much of the springtime of youth too quickly! We must get him to the hospital immediately!”

Kakashi chose to lie down on the cool grass and cover his face with his book.

He was surrounded by idiots. 

 

* * *

 

“Gai was so cool, Itachi!” Naruto sniggered as Itachi and Sasuke exchanged skeptical glances.

After _finally_ coming back to his senses, Itachi managed to get out of being dragged to the hospital. Unfortunately, it took putting Gai in a genjutsu.

 _Oh_ _well_ , Itachi thought guiltlessly. _Kakashi probably does it all the time._

“He’s probably going to be a bit disappointed when he finds out he didn’t actually save the village from an invasion of giant mutant spiders, though.” Naruto predicted and then laughed. “Making him think Kakashi was the Spider-King – oh, man – that was priceless. The evil eye Kakashi gave you is going to stay in my memory forever.”

Itachi was actually a little bit proud of that. Kakashi was getting a little too comfortable where he was relaxing on the ground, and Itachi was sure that Gai’s arrival was at least a little bit his fault.

Really, Itachi was just trying to daydream in peace. Is that a crime?

“Nii-san, you _are_ feeling better, right?” Sasuke asked once they reached Itachi’s apartment. Itachi poked his forehead as he walked around him into the kitchen.

“I wasn’t feeling bad to start with. I was just thinking about something.”

“What were you thinking about?” Sasuke asked suspiciously as he pulled out a chair at the table.

“Things.” Itachi evaded, waving a hand in dismissal as he started a pot of tea.

“What _kind_ of things?” Sasuke pried, furrowing his brows determinedly.

“Things you’ll understand when you’re older, Sasuke.” Itachi replied, used to his brother pestering him.  Sasuke grimaced and glared at the non-answer.

“I’m older than you! You can tell _me_ , Itachi.” Naruto tried, pointing eagerly at himself.

“I don’t think you’ll ever be old enough, Naruto.” Itachi told him. Insulted, Naruto sniffed and started scribbling something down on a piece of paper. Itachi noticed Sasuke took some gratification in watching Naruto get shot down.

 _He’s becoming a bit of a sadist_ , Itachi worriedly thought.

“I’ll be a genin in a couple days – then you’ll have to start telling me things, Itachi-nii.” Sasuke said, vaguely threateningly.

Itachi hummed to himself skeptically. “You’ll have to pass another test after graduation, you know. The jounin-sensei gets to pick whether they keep the group assigned to them or not.”

“Hmph, whatever. Why can’t you be my jounin-sensei?”

Itachi smiled and glanced briefly at Naruto who was busy scrawling something down, his hair hiding his face.

“I’m not on the line-up for being one yet. There are still a lot of jounin older than me who still have to take a team.”

Taking his freshly brewed tea, Itachi took a seat at the table with Naruto and Sasuke. He peered over at what Naruto was writing. In turn, Naruto gave Itachi a suspicious look and protectively moved an arm over the paper to block Itachi’s view. 

Still keeping a watchful eye on a bemused Itachi, Naruto said, “I bet Kakashi is going to be your sensei, Sasuke.”

Both Uchihas made a face at that comment, although Sasuke’s was much more pronounced.

“I don’t want that pervert to teach me anything. Besides, Itachi-nii can teach me way more than he could.”

Naruto shrugged, focusing again on writing someone on the paper still hidden from view. “Sure, probably. Except would you rather learn everything your brother knows, or everything your brother _and_ Kakashi know? That’s the benefit of having a non-relative sensei. You already have connections within your family to learn things – with a jounin sensei you’ll be able to learn things you wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Kakashi is a respected shinobi too.”

Both Uchihas gaped at Naruto. Well, the Uchiha equivalent of a gape, anyhow.

“That’s the most mature thing I’ve ever heard you say, Naruto.” Itachi confessed. Naruto frowned slightly in contemplation.

“I’m not the smartest person, I know that.” He said while pointing his brush at Itachi. “But I have a lot of experience – and I’ve had a lot of wonderful friends who have more than made up for my stupidity over the years. I’ve learned what I could – and I know that learning all you can from everything you can is the best way to become stronger. Sometimes you figure things out that you never could have any other way.”

Sasuke actually seemed to be thinking about it. “I guess Kakashi wouldn’t be _that_ bad of a teacher. He _was_ the Yondaime’s student, right?”

Itachi held off on any remarks against Kakashi for the moment.

“Ha, are you kidding? Kakashi would be a _terrible_ teacher, Sasuke! He’d just read porn all day while making you guys chase cats around or something.” Naruto laughed out in complete contradiction to his previous words.

A vein throbbed in Sasuke’s head.

“But you literally _just said_ \- !” He shouted at Naruto.

“I changed my mind.” He interrupted distractedly, still scribbling away.

Itachi covered his mouth with his hand to cover a smile. He’d been smiling too much lately – he needed to get control over himself soon. But with Naruto around…

Itachi allowed himself to examine Naruto after having avoided looking at him during the walk home. His red hair was untamed as ever, sticking out in random directions where it could. He was still wearing Itachi’s clothing – they should probably go buy him his own set of clothing soon. Itachi really wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle the idea of Naruto wearing his clothing anymore after his _total breakdown_ earlier today. Itachi resisted the pathetic urge to cover his face as he recalled his behavior.

He needed to get over these _feelings_ – fast. They weren’t benefiting anyone and Itachi wasn’t comfortable with the loss of control he was experiencing.

He continued staring at Naruto.

“What are you writing, anyways?” Sasuke asked, obviously bored now that the conversation dried up. Naruto looked up at Sasuke in suspicion, dragging the piece of paper even closer to himself. Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Alright, fine. Don’t tell us.” He kicked Naruto under the table, earning a stink eye from his victim. “I’m going out to train for a bit. Don’t eat dinner without me!” He said to Itachi.

Itachi panicked slightly when he realized that meant he’d be left alone with Naruto again – but _then_ he remembered he wasn’t a twelve year old girl and got over it.

He needed to put his thoughts elsewhere – like his mission. Which was about Naruto.

He sighed in resignation.

“Naruto, do you mind if I ask you something?” He tried. Naruto shrugged, not looking up from his paper now that Sasuke was gone.  “What was it like? Being a Jinchurinki?”

Naruto’s writing slowed briefly before resuming its original pace. He smiled wryly.

“Being a Jinchurinki…” he tested the words. “Before, I never really knew what it wasn’t like to be a Jinchurinki, so I guess I couldn’t really answer that. I can tell you what it’s like _not_ being a jinchurinki.” He stopped writing completely and rolled the paper up, stuffing it into a pocket. He contemplated an outwardly impassive Itachi while tapping his fingers on his leg.

“Everything hurts now.” He said. “Everything feels different – sometimes my own chakra feels foreign to me because I can’t feel the other chakra inside of me anymore. I had a _lot_ of issues controlling my chakra right after it happened.” He paused. “After the, uh, extraction, I mean. Until I managed to whip this seal together,” he gestured to his arm, “I was pretty much limited to taijutsu only. It was embarrassing – I couldn’t even measure enough chakra to walk up a tree. But I had some friends who helped me improve my taijutsu during that time, which I was never too great at before.”

He stared out of the window for a long moment before startling back to attention.

“Ack, sorry, I got a bit off topic there, huh?” Naruto forced a laugh. “Really the best way I can describe the difference is that it felt like I’d either fallen asleep or woken up – I really couldn’t tell you which. My senses are all different now.” He rapped his head lightly with his knuckles.

“It sounds incredibly complicated.” Itachi said, attempting to process the information.

“I’m still figuring it out myself, to be honest.” Naruto grinned, his hollowed eyes belying his expression’s sincerity.

“Naruto…” Itachi trailed as he forgot what he was supposed to be asking him. The light streaming in from the windows played with the colors of Naruto’s eyes. 

 _Moonstones,_ Itachi thought, _his eyes are like moonstones – shimmering in the light, never the same when you look at them twice._

Naruto rested his head on his hand and fluttered his eyelashes.

Itachi crashed back to reality. “Ah, I’m sorry. I can’t seem to stay focused today.” Itachi apologized breathlessly.

“It’s alright, I know I’m pretty. I’d stare at me too if I had a mirror on hand.” He jested. Itachi cracked a smile and shook his head. “I know you’ve been worried about me, Itachi, but if there’s something on your mind… I’m here if you need to talk.”

Itachi idly passed a hand through the steam drifting up from his tea, watching it create new and volatile shapes as it dissipated into the air.

“It’s nothing important, Naruto. A few things have caught me off guard recently, and I’ve realized that there are some things in this world I’ve yet to understand.” He smiled uncertainly. “Myself, for example.”

Naruto laughed softly.

“If there’s one thing I’m able to tell you about that – It’s never to presume you know anything about yourself. You can be the most determined or single minded person in the world and something will still fly out of left field and slam you straight upside the head. It still happens to me – I learn something about myself every single day that I’m still alive.” Naruto smirked mischievously at Itachi, leaning in and stage whispering, “And if you want to know a secret – _Everyone_ else is exactly the same. No matter how put together they seem, there’s always something inside unraveling and stitching itself back up differently. _Always_.”

He slumped back in his chair, expression contemplative. “It’s not always a good thing.” Naruto reluctantly admitted. “Sometimes good people can stitch themselves back together in an ugly and complicated way.” He picked at a frayed edge of his shirt.

Itachi watched as Naruto turned his head down, blocking the light from his eyes. The shimmering colors were replaced by a cobalt blue that could have reflected the depths of the oceans themselves, the turmoil within never quite reaching the surface. Itachi remembered the Yondaime say _‘His eyes tell stories that run deeper than grief’_. He found himself unable to disagree.

“There is nothing ugly about you, Naruto.” Itachi said softly.

Naruto looked at Itachi in abject surprise. “That wasn’t what I – I mean, I –“ He blushed slightly. “Oi, don’t go around saying stuff like that, it’s embarrassing.” He managed to get out, glaring half-heartedly.

Itachi smiled as something inside of him quietly settled. After spending so many years convinced he understood himself and the world around him – maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing to accept things weren’t always so straightforward. Especially if it meant –

“I’ll start making dinner.” Itachi announced as he abruptly stood up, his chair clattering loudly behind him as it regained its balance.

“Eh? Sasuke just left a little bit ago – he’ll be mad if we eat without him.”

Itachi shrugged as he quickly walked over to the kitchen.

“Sasuke can’t always get everything he wants. He’ll be a genin soon, perhaps it’s time he learns that.”

“If you say so.” Naruto said doubtfully.

“Tomorrow, how about we go shopping for some things for you, now that you’ve decided on staying in Konoha? You can’t wear my clothes forever.” Itachi rushed out while seeming to be intently focused on chopping cabbage.

“Itachi, I don’t have any money.” Naruto pointed out.

Itachi shrugged again. “Pay me back later.” He said, moving on from the cabbage to carrots in record time.

Naruto looked at Itachi’s full cup of tea on the table and wondered. 

 

* * *

 

Kakashi made his weekly trip to the memorial stone a bit earlier than usual this morning. His thoughts were more tumultuous than they’d been in many a year and he figured he needed the extra time to sort through them.

The sun hadn’t yet dared to peek out from over the horizon, and only a few tired people willingly ventured out so early in the morning.

Kakashi yawned loudly, breaking the stifling quiet around him.

Coming upon the memorial, Kakashi realized he was not the only visitor it had.

“Naruto-kun.” Kakashi greeted. “You’re out early. Does Itachi-kun know you’re here?”

Naruto looked up from his hand, the ashes of something recently burnt lingering there. Kakashi saw a blackened corner of paper flutter away as a breeze picked it up.

“Oh, Kakashi-se-san.” Naruto stuttered, gaining Kakashi’s suspicion with the honorific. “I, ah, left a note. Couldn’t sleep.” He explained.

Kakashi walked closer to the stone, instantly spotting the familiar names carved into stone. He silently greeted his friend.

“This is an interesting place for you to end up, Naruto-kun.”

Naruto looked down at his hand.

“It’s a memorial.” Naruto said. “I never got to say my goodbyes, I figured this would be the closest thing to a proper sendoff I’d be able to give them.” He gingerly brushed the ash off of his hand. “I – I hope that’s ok. I know they weren’t…”

Kakashi thought about the names of the men and women on the stone, all Konoha ninja lost in the service of the village. He thought about the names he was certain were written on the piece of paper Naruto let burn in his hand.

“This is a place of remembrance, Naruto-kun.” He said, his eyes glued to Uchiha Obito’s name. “Your friends deserve remembrance too.”

Naruto relaxed, his eyes following the trail of ash being swept away by the wind.

“My name should have been on that list too.” He said, his face unusually serious. Kakashi tensed uncomfortably. “But it wasn’t. So I need to learn to start anew, and make amends with myself – so that when the day comes when I meet them again, I’ll be able to face them with no shame – with no guilt.  I have to live for them now, because as long as they’re remembered – they’re not dead. Not really.”

He surveyed Kakashi, the gesture startlingly reminiscent of the Yondaime, and turned his eyes to the memorial stone. They seemed to zero in on the same name Kakashi was intimately familiar with.

“They died in service of something too, you know. We had a cause we were determined to follow through to the end – and further if need be.”

“What was it? Your cause?” Kakashi asked, his companion’s solemn composure catching him off guard.

Naruto watched him, his eyes seeming to bore through the mask Kakashi never took off. Kakashi shifted under the weight of the stare, somehow feeling very young and exposed.

“Peace.” Naruto replied simply, allowing his gaze to wander over to where the sun began to peak out over the top of the Yondaime’s head on the Hokage Mountain.

The red sun cast a warm glow over them and Naruto’s eyes seemed to _burn_ ; the fire he lit refusing to be extinguished with a piece of paper lined with names.

“Looks like you finally asked your question, Kakashi.” Naruto said, a small grin slowly pulling at the corners of his mouth.

Broken from his trance, Kakashi gaped at Naruto. Naruto clapped Kakashi on the shoulder good naturedly as he walked by.

“I’ll see you around, Bakashi!”

Kakashi continued gaping as the redhead sauntered off, in disbelief that he fell for the trap. Naruto-kun was a bit more devious than he initially assumed.

He turned his vision back to his old friend’s name carved into stone.

“The two of you would have gotten along too well, I think.” He told Obito. “Don’t think for a second I’m going to let him get away with that.” He insisted.

He watched the sun rise over the mountain, serenely illuminating the sleeping village.

“Peace, huh?” He asked.

There was no reply.

 


	6. Wishing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mrs. White in the cellar with the poison. No?

“You taught me courage, Naruto. The courage of living – not merely existing.” His breath staggered as he spoke, but his words remained steady. “I will have always been alive – here and now. This single fixed point in time, I am alive. So I’ll use this eternal moment to teach you one last thing.” He opened his unmatched eyes. His unmasked face revealed a grin, an expression the lines on his skin weren’t used to. “Naruto, life is beautiful. This is fact. I know it’s been difficult to believe lately, and I know I refused to believe it for the most of my life – but you’ll see it again where you’re going.” His breath rattled.

“I’m afraid my breath won’t hold long enough to make the trip with you this time.” His words were reduced to whispers and his eyes stared blindly into the beyond.

“You were always laughing,” he breathed.

And then he didn’t.

 

* * *

  

A loud bang signaled Naruto that someone just kicked his door open.

“It’s half past one, idiot.” Sasuke griped from the doorway.

Naruto turned and stared blankly at the eternally grumpy preteen.

“Oh shit, I’m going to be late.” Naruto said.

“For what?”

Naruto gave him a pointed look and turned back around, pulling the blankets over his head.

“Hey – don’t – wake up you dumbass!” Sasuke irately marched over to Naruto and tugged at the blankets.

“Oi, Sasuke – stop it! I’m trying to sleep, you little punk!”

Itachi walked in to witness Sasuke pull a blanket tangled Naruto off the bed. The pile of blankets on the floor moaned, shifted slightly and went quiet.

After a brief pause Sasuke shouted, “Don’t just go back to sleep, moron!” He kicked the lump on the floor, earning an ‘ _oof_ ’ for his troubles.

“But, _Sasuke –_ “ Naruto’s muffled whine could be heard.

“Naruto, we were going to head out for lunch if you wanted to join us.” Itachi interrupted before Sasuke could continue kicking Naruto.

The blankets moved slightly, revealing Naruto’s face.

“Ichiraku’s?” Naruto asked rather pathetically.

Sasuke scowled. “I want _real_ food. Not _ramen._ ”

“Ramen is the best food.” Naruto grumbled, covering his face again.

“How about Sasuke can pick lunch, and we can get Ichiraku’s for dinner?” Itachi compromised. Sasuke shrugged while a single blue eye peeked out of the blankets.

“I guess.” The blankets said hesitantly.

“That means you have to wake up, moron.” Sasuke said as he roughly pulled the blankets off of Naruto, catching him by surprise.

Naruto scowled and glowered at Sasuke, now blanket-less. Also shirtless, Itachi noted as he blinked a few times and proceeded to take advantage as he discreetly ogled Naruto. 

“You look half dead.” Sasuke deadpanned.

“I haven’t been able to sleep.” Naruto said as he forced himself off the ground, reaching for the dresser. “Alright, alright. Give me a minute to get dressed, I’ll be ready to go soon.”

Apparently satisfied, Sasuke walked out past Itachi into the living room. Itachi remained in the doorway, his eyes lingering.

“Waiting for a free show?” Naruto mumbled tiredly as he pulled out some clothes. Itachi was glad Naruto wasn’t facing him, because he wasn’t able to stop his brief grin.

“Just wanted to make sure you were alright. I noticed you slipped out early this morning.” He pulled out a slip of paper. “Got your note.”

“Yeah, I’m alright. I just had a lot on my mind. Took a walk – ran into Kakashi.”

“Ah, I apologize.”

Naruto laughed. “Nah, it wasn’t so bad. I kinda tricked him into using up his question, though I’m pretty sure he’s going to raise a bit of a stink over it later.”

Itachi raised a brow. “You managed to trick Kakashi? That’s impressive.”

Naruto turned to face Itachi while pulling a shirt over his head. Something fluttered in Itachi’s stomach as the muscles pulled taut across Naruto’s torso.  

“It’s not so impressive when you realize he was probably still half-asleep and was more than a little distracted by something.” Naruto admitted while yawning.

When Naruto started shrugging off his sleep pants, Itachi decided not to push his luck and reluctantly turned around.

“After lunch, I figure it would be a good time to get you some clothes. Sasuke’s making me buy him some things as a graduation present too, so it won’t be out of the way.”

“I know you have money, Itachi, but I really don’t feel right about you spending it on me. I’m pretty sure I already owe you my life, I don’t think I should be adding crippling debt on top of that.” Naruto said wryly.

“I’ve said it before, pay me back later.” Itachi dismissed. He could hear Naruto presumably pulling on some pants. He tried not to imagine it.

He didn’t try very hard.

“At this rate, I’ll probably have to hand over my soul to pay you back. Even then I might owe you a few yen,” he complained, then continued, “I’m decent; your virgin eyes are safe.”

Itachi turned back around a little too eagerly. “Souls are acceptable.” He smiled innocently. “And my eyes are hardly virgin, but thank you for the consideration.”

Naruto squinted at Itachi while brushing his hair with his hand.

“Itachi… You’re not secretly a closet pervert are you?”

Itachi huffed out a wry laugh as he let his eyes scan Naruto. “Well, if I was, would you believe me if I said I wasn’t?”

“No, I guess not.” Naruto conceded. “Anyways, let’s head out before Sasuke decides to start playing target practice with my face again.”

After a surprisingly peaceful lunch (BBQ, which Naruto couldn’t complain about) Sasuke dragged them to a weapons shop. Sasuke immediately proceeded to badger his brother about all the _necessary_ equipment he was going to need. Although if Naruto could hazard a guess, the kid probably already had just about everything he needed and more.

“Spoiled brat.” He mumbled through a yawn as he examined some of the swords for sale.

“Anything catching your eye, sir?” A beady eyed salesman asked Naruto as he spent a little too long examining one item. “That’s a fine sword there, if you have the competency for it. It’s able to absorb chakra flow, which gives it quite the deadly edge.” He guffawed to himself.

“No, no. I was just looking, thank you. It has a similar design to my friend’s sword, so it just brought back a few memories.” Naruto said, trying to get the man to leave.

“I see, I see. Is there anything I’m able to help you find? Perhaps you’d like to replace a sword you’ve lost or even upgrade something you currently have?” The man persisted.

“No, thanks, _really_. Swords were never really my thing. I’ve always preferred shorter blades when it comes to close combat.” Naruto narrowed his eyes and started to edge away.

“Oh! I know exactly what you’re looking for! We have a lovely collection of trench knives and daggers over here, my sister is especially a fan of this one here – slightly longer than the standard dagger, with a  serrated blade, for that extra effect all shinobi are looking for – this is the standard version of it, but it is also available with a chakra blade – the balance of the hilt and the blade are _unsurpassed_ – I can also guarantee the blade itself will never dull or break on you – in fact today, and _today only_ we are having a special on this item – 40% off! You’ll never find a better price for such a quality blade!”

“We’ll take two with the chakra blades, please.” Itachi said as he materialized behind them. Naruto and the salesman both jumped at his sudden appearance. Naruto knocked over a ridiculously expensive and gaudy spear that was on display.

The salesman’s small eyes widened greedily as he pulled a key out from his robes and scurried off to a locked case behind the shop counter.

“Uhh,” Naruto said dumbly. “Are you sure Sasuke really needs chakra blades?” he asked, still trying to catch up with the situation.

“No, Sasuke is hardly ready for a chakra blade.” Itachi admitted. “You seemed interested in it. I figured if you wanted to start getting back into shape, you could use a couple weapons.”

“I was more interested in how that guy was managing to talk so fast.” Naruto blandly replied. “Really, Itachi, it’s way too expensive. Go buy overpriced stuff for your brother.”

“He’s already taking care of that for me.” Itachi smiled and glanced over to where Sasuke was lugging around an oversized bag full of junk. Naruto’s eye twitched. “I don’t mind, really. After all, today and _today only_ they’re having a special sale on it. We can hardly pass up the opportunity.” He clapped Naruto on the back, his hand sliding across the width of Naruto’s shoulders as he headed over to the counter.

“I have no idea how you still have money with how you keep throwing it around and with that leech following you everywhere.” Naruto sighed in resignation. “I guess some chakra blades would be nice. I used to have a nice set of them a few years back – but, well. Not anymore.” He grumbled. “I’m still paying you back someday.”

Itachi’s _too_ innocent smile told Naruto he was certainly expecting some sort of payment as he waved Sasuke over.

“You are _the_ most spoiled kid on the planet, Sasuke.” Naruto said as Sasuke spilled the contents of the bag on the counter.  Sasuke ignored Naruto while smirking to himself.

_He totally knows_ , Naruto thought. _He totally knows and he’s taking advantage of it while he still can._

Sasuke eyed the chakra blades with suspicion when the salesman added them to the charges, but didn’t say anything. He did, however, look very affronted when Itachi handed them to Naruto. Naruto stuck his tongue out at him as he examined the blades.

_The salesman wasn’t a liar at least,_ he thought. _They are nice blades._

He gently ran his chakra through them, smiling when a soft gust emitted from them.

Itachi looked over curiously as the salesman was still sorting through Sasuke’s mess.

“Wind-natured? That’s rare out here.”

“Wind _and_ water.” Naruto bragged. “I’m not too shabby with lightning nature either, but when it comes to fire and earth I still have a lot to improve.”

“You must be fun to fight around a river or lake.” The sarcasm might as well been tangible. “You’re a bit of a ninjutsu buff, I’m guessing?”

Naruto tested the sharpness of the blade with his finger, approving of the thin line of blood that formed at the slightest touch.

“Nah, I usually learn this and that and then stick to the stuff I really like. Though I have learned a lot over the years, so I guess I do know a little more than a few things. Sasuke – uh – my friend Sasuke,” he clarified as the pint sized Sasuke glared at him from where the salesman was _still_ tallying up his items, “He had a lightning affinity and had a good memory for ninjutsu, so I picked up a lot from him when we trained together. Though over the past few years I’ve mostly been focusing on fuinjutsu, so it’ll be nice to get a refresh on my ninjutsu.”

Itachi glanced at his brother. “I promised Sasuke I’d train a bit with him tonight, if you’d like to join us. I’m sure he’d love the excuse to spar with you – It can be your graduation present to him. I’m sure he’ll survive a few low level ninjutsu.”

Naruto snickered. “Like he needs an excuse to fight me. Even his stare attacks me when I least expect it. I’m also pretty sure I have at least a dozen bruises from where he’s kicked me. Which he does _all the time_. My shins are very colorful right now.”

“Maybe a ‘ _real_ ’ fight will get it out of his system?” Itachi tried. Naruto stared back dryly.

“His graduation’s tomorrow, right?” Naruto said, changing the topic. “That’ll be fun. I think it’s my rightful duty to embarrass him in front of all his classmates.”

“ _You’re not invited_.” Sasuke declared, handing the total charges over to his brother.

“Itachi will invite me.” Naruto retaliated.

Itachi ignored them as they descended into their usual squabbling and paid the much too pleased salesman.

“Alright, now we have to buy Naruto clothes.” He announced as Sasuke put Naruto into a chokehold.

Needless to say, Sasuke was _not_ pleased.

 

* * *

 

Turns out that ‘buying Naruto clothes’ means letting Itachi and Sasuke reject everything Naruto picked out and then picking his clothing for him. Naruto sulked as Itachi once again footed the bill while Sasuke smirked at Naruto’s displeasure.

“I’m sorry Naruto, it’s just that with your hair color, orange really just doesn’t….” Itachi tried to apologize. Naruto toed the floor, ignoring the Uchihas.

“What Itachi-nii is trying to say is that orange is terrible and we refuse to be seen with anyone wearing it.”

“You know who says stuff like that, Sasuke? _Someone lookin’ to get stabbed_.” Naruto’s sulk increased to dangerous levels as he glowered at the floor.  Itachi grinned as he slipped an arm over Naruto’s shoulders, directing him out of the store.

“You can buy as much orange as you want when you get your own money.” Itachi consoled.

Naruto continued ignoring the fashionistas. Just because _they_ always looked good in their coordinated colors didn’t mean Naruto had to. They’ll have to accept it eventually.

_Soon_ , he thought wickedly while side eying the all too innocent Itachi and smug Sasuke. _I’m onto you Itachi. Your niceness is just a guise. Sasuke had to get his nastiness from_ somewhere.

Naruto didn’t really see why he had to buy new clothes in the first place. At the start of everything, he just thought Itachi was the nicest person ever in the whole damned universe, but he was starting to have his doubts. Naruto smelled something _sneaky._

Something like _ulterior motives_.

“Yo.” Kakashi greeted, his nose firmly planted in his book.

“Well, that explains the smell.” Naruto muttered. Kakashi looked mildly affronted for half a second before blushing at something surely scandalous occurring within the world of Icha Icha.

“Kakashi-san.” Itachi warily greeted. Sasuke grunted something that might be considered a greeting in a pre-language society. Even then it was debatable.

“It pains me to cut any conversation with you short, but I need to steal Naruto-kun for a while, Itachi-kun.” Kakashi gave Itachi a _meaningful_ look.

Itachi reddened slightly and turned his head before any more traces of guilt seeped onto his face. He would never admit it, but he was glad the ‘Naruto Mission’ wasn’t necessarily a _real_ mission, because he’d surely be failing it. He internally apologized to the Yondaime.

Oblivious to unspoken conversations, Naruto crossed his arms and grinned smugly.

“You’re not going to be a poor sport about earlier, are you? I _knew_ you’d try something.”

“Your perceptiveness never ceases to astound me.” Kakashi apathetically recited. “But yes, I would like to speak with you if you have the time.” Another meaningful look was sent in Itachi’s direction. Itachi halted his hands from reaching his temples, awkwardly crossing his arms instead. He refused to show weakness in front of this man.

“I _guess_ we can talk.” Naruto graciously allowed, already being hauled away before he finished speaking. He looked back at the _not-_ glowering Itachi and nonchalant Sasuke and gave an aborted wave as he was jerked suddenly in another direction.  “Really, what is it with everyone always dragging me around everywhere by force? It’s crazy, I know, but my legs _are_ capable of moving in specific directions when I want them to.”

Kakashi hummed noncommittally while continuing to drag him along, his other hand still pressing his book to his face. They stopped in front of a vending machine with a long vertical crack in the glass, wide enough to reach in and grab something.

Kakashi grabbed a chocolate bar.

“So, Naruto-kun.” He spoke around the large mound chocolate in his mouth. Naruto didn’t even see when it disappeared from his hand. “I think you owe me a little more than a one word answer.”

“Yeah, I guess.” He acquiesced. He spotted BBQ flavored potato chips and debated whether or not to follow Kakashi’s example and pull it out of the machine. Was it stealing? The machine didn’t seem to be working in the first place. If people didn’t take the food out of it, wouldn’t it go bad?

He grabbed the potato chips.

“So your mission,” Kakashi prompted, seeing that Naruto wasn’t going to start on his own. “You said it was _peace_ , but what exactly does that mean? What were you doing and how were you going to obtain it?”

Peace was an idealistic notion. Kakashi didn’t believe in idealistic intentions – he once heard someone say that realists generally agree that everyone is wrong in some way, shape, or form – while idealists agree that everyone is wrong except for _themselves_. Peace was a pipe dream; there will always be conflict in the world. The best people could do was minimize the damage while they were alive.

Naruto nibbled on a potato chip as he thought about the question.

“I knew someone exactly like you, you know.” He said instead. Kakashi furrowed his brows as Naruto chewed thoughtfully. “Man, he was the biggest cynic on the planet sometimes, I swear. Don’t look at me like that – I could hear the disdain dripping off your words like a waterfall. _Peace_.” Naruto drew out the word, immediately afterwards shoving a handful of chips in his mouth. “ _Peace_.” He repeated between chewing. “It’s sort of a nasty word sometimes, huh? Everyone’s got their own opinion on it – how to achieve it, how to _define_ it. I’ve seen a lot of people chase _peace_ around by leaving a long and winding trail of bodies, justified by the belief that in the end _it will be worth it_. It never is, of course.” He tilted his head back, pouring the remaining crumbs in his mouth.

“You say that, yet you’ve already admitted that it was your group’s cause.” Kakashi pressed. The implications of Naruto’s words worried him.

Naruto shook his head as he wiped his mouth. “The guy I knew, seriously, _carbon copy_ of you. Always thinking the worst of everything, the paranoid bastard.” Naruto recalled the dream he had in the brief time he managed to sleep. Kakashi-sensei’s last words: _You were always laughing_. For the longest time, Naruto thought Kakashi was talking to him. But his eyes  – a faraway gaze – Naruto couldn’t help but wonder if he was talking to someone no living creature could see. “I think the word _peace_ offended him sometimes too. He had someone important to him who died for peace in the worst possible way.”

Kakashi stalled briefly before pointing out, “You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Right, right. Right. When I say our cause was peace, I’m not saying we were trying to put an end to all wars and suffering, as nice as the idea is. We were… trying to prevent something terrible from happening.” _By traveling back in time_ , Naruto finished to himself.

“There are words coming out of your mouth, but all they are doing is rearranging themselves in ways that don’t tell me what I’m interested in hearing. Stop being vague, Naruto-kun.”

“Then maybe you should stop being evasive about what exactly it is you want to hear.” Naruto replied roughly. He knew how Kakashi gathered information – point in one direction while watching another. What Kakashi often lacked in social skills, he more than made up for in technique. Naruto, never having reason to hide anything from Kakashi-sensei, didn’t realize this for a very long time. _The master of the red herring_ , Sakura explained once, _a conversation with him never ends where_ you _think it will._

Kakashi studied Naruto. “The problem with that, Naruto-kun, is that there is a _lot_ that I want to hear.” He sighed. “Minato-sensei hasn’t been to see you lately, has he?” Naruto shook his head. “Didn’t think so. Alright then, there is one thing –“

“Hatake-san.” An Anbu appeared in a puff of smoke. “Yondaime-sama requires your presence – Elder Shimura Danzo was killed.”

 

* * *

 

Despite all efforts to the contrary, the genin graduation ceremony was tense and uncomfortable.  Eyes darted accusingly at shadows flickering against the wall and the amount of Anbu around the Hokage at all times were stark reminders _that_ man was killed and the murderer had yet to be identified. Regardless, the new genin managed to be happy enough and their parents’ obvious pride made the ordeal bearable.

Naruto ended up being right – Kakashi was Sasuke’s genin teacher. They were once again Team 7 along with Sakura and, ironically enough, Sai. Sasuke moaned for days about the injustice of his situation until he realized that neither his brother nor Naruto were paying him much mind.

Naruto idly let his inked brush form familiar strokes on paper as he thought to himself. _Shimura Danzo_. Naruto was ashamed to admit that he’d forgotten about that asshole.  Although, Naruto couldn’t say for sure whether or not he was the same class of asshole in this universe. As far as Naruto could determine, Root was never developed here. There was one detail that put him ill at ease, however.

Of the information released to the public about Danzo’s death, it was revealed that he was missing a single eye. According to _more_ information there was nothing special about the eye that was taken. Naruto could spot bullshit occasionally, and that was definitely bullshit.

Naruto bit his lip and furiously traced out three sharp lines on the paper.  The manner of his death suggested poison of some kind, but mednins thus far have been unable to identify which toxins were used or how they were administered.

“That looks complex.” Itachi tiredly stated the obvious as he sat down next to Naruto at the kitchen table. Naruto hadn’t even been aware Itachi was back at the apartment. Despite his status of being ‘on vacation’, the Yondaime had been pulling Itachi out with some frequency. The lines under his eyes seemed deeper than usual and along with the jounin uniform he looked as though he’d aged ten years. Naruto was suddenly shot with worry for the teenager.

“Are you alright?” Naruto asked.

Itachi waved him off. “Just a lot of paranoid and angry people right now. Yondaime-sama especially, although he hides it well.”

Naruto bit his lip again, missing the way Itachi lethargically allowed his gaze to linger there. Naruto’s eyes trailed down to the paper in front of him – he froze in shock.  Itachi did not miss this.

“What is it?”

Naruto quickly tore the paper in half and threw it in the trash. He’d subconsciously been recreating the part of the space-time seal he’d been having difficulties with before everything went to hell.

“Nothing. Just another failure. Nothing new about the elder guy?”

“Shimura Danzo.” Itachi corrected. “And no, there is quite literally nothing to go on. All the Yondaime can do is increase the guards on perimeter while we all hope something turns up in forensics or during questioning.” He leaned heavily back against his chair, untying his forehead protector and then proceeding to pull off his flak jacket.

“Sorry, sorry. I shouldn’t ask you about work after you’ve been working all day. Especially with all this craziness.”  Itachi shrugged, looking closer to his age after shedding half his uniform. Naruto felt a sudden jolt of worry run through him again. “Hey, just – make sure you’re taking care of yourself, alright? I get the feeling you’re a workaholic. I’d offer to cook for you, but my skills in cooking are limited to instant ramen and, well, anything else that says instant on the label.” Itachi blinked and huffed out a quiet laugh.

“I’m fine, don’t worry. I have it easy compared to some of the others.  The day just went by very _very_ slowly.” He yawned and glanced at the mess in the living room. “Is Sasuke still out?”

Naruto stifled a yawn, the damned contagious things. “Yeah, he was here earlier for about two minutes. Then he said something about it not being safe and crawled out the window.” Itachi yawned again and Naruto had to clench his jaw shut to stop himself from catching it. He shot Itachi a glare when he noticed his smirk. “And then about five minutes after Sasuke left, Sakura-chan showed up at the door looking for him.”

“Poor Sasuke. It must be hard being popular.” Itachi leaned his chair back haphazardly.

“He should just go out with her. If he takes after you, he’ll just get dumped and then he won’t have girl problems, right?”

“ _Ouch_.” Itachi said, holding his hand to his chest in faux pain. The front legs of his chair clattered loudly as they met the ground. Naruto snickered unsympathetically. “But you’re not wrong.” Itachi said as he stood up from the table and lied down on the couch after knocking off the junk Sasuke left strewn over it. “I’m going to close my eyes for a few minutes.” He mumbled.

“You mean take a nap?”

“No, I mean _close my eyes_.”

Naruto rolled his eyes. “Anything you want me to do? I can pick up some take out for whenever you decide to _open_ your eyes.”

“No, that’s alright. Just… talk.”

“Talk? About what?” Naruto asked. Itachi shrugged awkwardly as he turned on his side to face Naruto who’d taken up the loveseat across from the couch. His eyes were half-lidded, struggling to stay open.

“Anything. I’m pretty sure my mother told you every detail of my life the day Sasuke graduated. It’s only fair if I hear a bit about you.”

“Uh, well. I’ve been training in the mornings, though you already know that. Those chakra blades are really nice, I’ll probably drag you out with me sometime to spar for a while. Other than that I really haven’t been doing much. Been stocking up on fuinjutsu I usually like to keep on hand.” Talking was _hard_ when someone actually wanted you to do it.

Itachi snorted. “You have twenty-four years of life to talk about, I’m sure you can come up with something.” After a startling moment of thinking Itachi could read minds, he realized he didn’t actually think that last bit to himself.

“Well, I don’t really know how much there is to tell. I was an orphan, I didn’t have many friends growing up. Just a few kids around my age I went to school with. I traveled a lot?”

Itachi smiled, his eyes fully closed. “You’re terrible at this.”

“Yeah, sorry.”

Itachi mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like ‘ _cute_ ’, which Naruto attributed to delirium. He watched as Itachi rapidly succumbed to exhaustion.

Naruto curled up on the loveseat, letting his head rest in his hand. He kept his gaze focused on Itachi, wondering when exactly he became comfortable enough to fall asleep so quickly in front of Naruto. When he moved in, he guessed. Not that he’d ever seen Itachi actually fall asleep before. Or that he’d ever _seen_ Itachi sleep. He stared for a bit longer before letting his thoughts wander.

Danzo’s death had set everyone on edge. Even Naruto, despite his near constant surveillance since being brought to the village, was questioned and looked into as well as they could.  He tried not to take offense, but it was hard. Sometimes he forgot he was an outsider here.

His memories of Konoha did not belong in this world.

He thought back to the sheet of paper he’d torn in half, sitting in the trashcan. If this world was _safe_ , which he still wasn’t sure about, didn’t he have a responsibility to go back and save his own world? He struck the thought from his mind. He knew it was impossible. What happened was an anomaly derived from the lack of necessary chakra and an incomplete array; trying to find a way to his dimension without some way to lock onto his destination was hopeless. Figuring _out_ a way to lock onto his destination was beyond him on so many levels.

Alternate universes were never really something he ever considered.

He felt guilt press in on him from both sides – the friends and village he loved would never get the help they needed, and leaving the people in this world after all they’ve done for him would be cruel as well. His gaze settled on Itachi again, he hadn’t moved since he fell asleep – a deep sleeper. Naruto never had that ability, always tossing and turning and kicking – coupled with recent years, he’d figured out pretty quickly how to live with little sleep.

He watched Itachi’s eyelids as they began to twitch.

Naruto wondered what _his_ Sasuke would do if he was here. Probably take over the world or something, he always seemed to have some kind of vendetta; he’d manage to find one here as well. And if Naruto owed him too much to try and stop him, well, whatever.

Naruto wasn’t sure he had the emotional capacity to fight Sasuke anymore.

He smiled stupidly at himself as he imagined Sasuke meeting Sasuke. They’d probably both be envious of each other – one had his family, the other grew into what could be considered one of the most powerful shinobi.  But with Itachi around, there would be way more brother complexes stirred up than Naruto thought he would be able to handle.

“You’re wasting time, Naruto.” A familiar deep voice said from somewhere behind him.

Naruto shrugged as he blew a strand of _too_ red hair out of his face. “Time enjoyed is not time wasted.” He quipped.

“You know there’s something wrong here. Something is moving quietly in the shadows – I can sense it.”

“Oh, that’s impressive. Since you’re _dead_.  You bastard.”

“ _Naruto_.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. Something’s up. At the very least, I’m pretty sure it isn’t Madara. I’ll look into things when I can walk outside without a dozen pairs of eyes locked onto my every move. The atmosphere here is pretty damned hostile at the moment, and I might as well be an intruder. Asking questions or being found somewhere I shouldn’t be would probably end up with me, an interrogation chamber, and Morino Ibiki. And you know how good I am at stealth.”

“You’re not.”

“ _Exactly_. Maybe you should have _not_ died in the process of sending me here.”

The voice stayed quiet.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Naruto bit out. He slumped further into his seat, seething. At least the bastard is staying hidden from sight, or Naruto might be trying to punch the air at the moment. He hardly needed Itachi to wake up and realize the level of crazy Naruto actually was.

The front door creaked open, a single eye peering in through the crack. Naruto blinked a few times as pint sized Sasuke slowly slipped through the door in a futile attempt to stay quiet as the door loudly creaked with every centimeter it was forced open. Sasuke winced at the sound before deciding to dash in and slam the door closed instead.

“How long ago was she here? Did she leave anything behind? Did she _take_ anything? Sai didn’t come by, did he? I think Sakura roped him into doing something.” Sasuke rambled as his eyes darted around the room in suspicion. He looked under a pillow on the floor.

Naruto suddenly had the novel realization that he _wasn’t_ the craziest person in the place.

“Huh?” Naruto asked after Sasuke’s spiel of questions. Sasuke ignored him and walked around the couch, spotting his brother sleeping there. He sat on Itachi’s legs. Itachi didn’t even twitch.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but Sasuke suddenly shot up from his improvised seat and hurled himself out the window with barely a second glance at Naruto. Naruto’s mouth was left hanging open.

“Was Sasuke just here?” Itachi groggily questioned.

After a pause Naruto said, “I’m not really sure.”

Itachi sat up on his elbows and ineffectively glanced around with barely opened eyes. He yawned and flopped back down. He looked at Naruto with a single half opened eye. Naruto stared back.

“Hey Naruto.” Itachi said.

“Hey Itachi.” Naruto said. Itachi rolled his open eye.

“I have a question.” He said reluctantly. Naruto gestured for him to continue. “Do you think it’s possible to fall in love with someone you’ve just met?”

Naruto really wasn’t expecting that. This was the type of question people didn’t ask Naruto because Naruto was not meant to answer these types of questions. But Itachi looked at Naruto, straight-faced and determined – which was impressive for someone who was just asleep less than a minute ago.

Naruto bit his lip and thought about it. He was pretty sure he’d never actually been in love before, so he couldn’t say anything based on personal experience. He thought about Lee and Sakura. Lee always claimed to have fallen in love with Sakura at first sight and that his love only deepened with time. He thought about Temari and Shikamaru, maybe theirs wasn’t a fast paced love, but there was obviously some sort of connection when they met that kept bringing them back together over the years.

“I’m not sure there’s really any specific time you’d need to fall in love with someone. I think it just happens. A lot of it probably has to do with who you are. And who the other person is.”

“So you think it’s possible?” Itachi asked.

“Yeah, sure. I mean it might not always work out well, but even then it doesn’t change what you felt at first, right? And if it does work out, there’s probably a whole ‘nother level of it you’d get to experience as you spend more time with whoever.”

“A whole ‘nother level.” Itachi repeated blandly, an arm covering his eyes.

Naruto debated about asking Itachi whether or not he’d fallen in love with someone. If he wanted to tell Naruto, he’d probably just bring it up himself. But it would explain why Itachi was acting kind of weird lately. Not as weird as that _one_ day, but weird enough that Naruto picked up on it.

“What would you be doing right now if your group made it out with you?” Itachi asked. Naruto _really_ wasn’t expecting that. But he had already been thinking along the same lines earlier.

After a moment Naruto said, “I think they’d like Konoha too. I think after making sure we were safe, maybe we’d all just relax. Not Sasuke though. He doesn’t understand relaxation. I’m pretty sure he’d move onto taking over the world; he’s an ambitious guy.”

Itachi smiled briefly. “After making sure you were safe? You never did explain the sort of trouble you were in when I found you.”

Naruto ducked his head. “I guess I’m kind of a suspicious guy, huh? All these secrets.”

Itachi peered out from under his arm at Naruto. “A bit, I’ll admit. Though someone only needs to stand in the same room as you for a few minutes to realize you’re not a bad person.”

“I could just be an _amazing_ actor.”

“With the amount of drugs they had you under that first week? You’d have to be a _lot_ more than an amazing actor to pull that off. _And_ we’d all have to be idiots.”

Naruto sulked. “We weren’t doing anything bad.” Naruto said. Itachi suddenly looked more alert, having expected Naruto to skip over the topic. “I’ll tell you the whole story one day, but I don’t think I’m ready to hear it out loud myself.”

Itachi sat up. “I’ll remember you said that.” He pointed out. Naruto shrugged.

“It’s really not that I’m trying to hide anything. It’s just that – I don’t know how to say it. I could just force the words out of my mouth, but words are just words – they aren’t what I experienced or what I lost, or even proof that any of it happened. Things just got _so bad._ ” Naruto didn’t think anyone would believe him, either. He traced a scar that ran from his wrist straight down his middle finger on his right hand. He had no idea where he got it from.

Itachi continued watching impassively from across him. He closed his eyes and pushed himself off the couch, taking the few short strides to where Naruto sat. He sat down in the tiny space next to Naruto on the small loveseat, leaving quite literally no room between them.  Baffled, Naruto let Itachi wrap his arms around him, pulling him into an embrace.

Unused to this sort of familiarity with _anyone_ , Naruto sat rigidly, unsure of what to do.

“Itachi? What – what are you doing?”

“Hugging you,” came the informative reply from Naruto’s right ear.

“Yes, I got that. _Why_?”

“You looked like you needed one.” Itachi supplied. “Sasuke used to make that same face when he was younger, and this always used to make him feel better. Or embarrass him, I never quite figured it out.”

Naruto laughed lightly before forcing himself to loosen up and allow himself to sink into the embrace. It took longer than he cared to admit, but Itachi didn’t seem to be letting go anyways. Naruto let his chin rest on Itachi’s shoulder and he hesitantly brought his arms up around Itachi. He heard Itachi take a deep breath as he closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling of being so physically close to another person.

Brief, one-armed hugs weren’t _rare_ amongst his group, especially when returning to or leaving camp, but they were so wrought with concern and fear – it felt more like goodbye. This was something different.

He wanted something, but he didn’t know what.

He remembered how freely he gave affection when he was a child. How much he _craved_ it. He wondered when he changed.

He wondered if he ever changed at all.

He tightened his grip around Itachi and pressed his face into the crook of his neck. He told himself he wasn’t crying, but his breaths were staggered and shallow as he held on desperately. Itachi ran his fingers through Naruto’s hair as he pulled himself together.  

“Sorry.” Naruto said when he stopped shaking.

A moment passed before Itachi answered. “You always apologize for things that don’t need apologizing. It’s a bad habit.”

“Sorry.” Naruto said again, smiling into Itachi’s shoulder. He loosened his grip and took a deep breath, Itachi’s fingers still running euphorically through his hair. Itachi let out a huff of air Naruto felt on his back. “I have a lot of apologies to make up for.”

Itachi hummed, and Naruto could _feel_ the sound as vibrated through Itachi’s throat. “Not to me, you don’t.”

“I think I liked talking about who you were in love with more than this.”

“I never said I was in love with anyone.”

“I have a brain, Itachi, even if it leaves on occasion.”

Itachi snorted. “I’m not in love with anyone. Maybe someday, but not yet.”

“Sounds serious.” Naruto said softly.

It must have been a full minute before Itachi replied, “Yeah. I think it is.” The words were spoken softly, yet resounded loudly throughout the quiet room.

The front door slammed open and for the third time that day Sasuke stormed inside. Only this time Sakura and a smiling pale kid toppled in after him. Sasuke abruptly stopped in horror at the scene in front of him. Sakura looked as though all her birthdays came at once and who Naruto deduced as a tiny Sai continued smiling like a creep.

Itachi and Naruto awkwardly pulled apart, but were still plastered practically on top of each other on the tiny loveseat.

“ _Nii-san!_ ” Sasuke said, managing to sound both offended and horrified, the expression on his face unable to decide between grossed out and righteously angered.

Sakura waved at them, her eyes glittering. “Hello again, Naruto! Hello Itachi-san! Sorry to interrupt!”

Sasuke’s head whipped around at her so fast Naruto was surprised it didn’t fly off his shoulders in the process.

“ _We didn’t interrupt anything! There was_ nothing _to interrupt!”_ His head flew back to stare at Itachi. “RIGHT?”

“Well…” Itachi dubiously started.

Sasuke pointed a threatening finger at him. “ _Nothing_. Was. Interrupted.”

Naruto snickered as Itachi held his hands up in compliance. The smirk on his face told another story, however. Sasuke glared at Naruto before turning around to his tagalongs.

“ _Stop following me_. Go bother Kakashi-sensei or something.” He pushed them both out the door.

“It was nice seeing you again Naruto and Itachi-san!” Sakura sang as she was forced out.

“Bye Sex Hair! Bye –“ Sai was cut off as Sasuke slammed the door in his _stupid_ _smiling_ face.

Naruto blanched and his eye twitched as he realized Sai’s nickname habit somehow managed to migrate to this universe as well. Some things _never_ change.  At least the name had nothing to do with Naruto’s –

Well. Anyhow.

Sasuke spun back towards the pair and seethed ominously in their direction.

Naruto pointed at Itachi and said, “I was sad and Itachi said he used to hug you were _you_ were sad to make you feel better.”

“ _You told him that?_ ” Sasuke’s ears turned red to match his face. “Both of you – out of my room. This has been an awful, horrible day. I need to recover before I can deal with you two.” He stomped over to the futon rolled up in the corner and spread it out on the floor. “ _Out_.” He gestured away from the living room. Itachi and Naruto pried themselves off the loveseat and stepped over to the part of the large room where the kitchen was located, still in full view. Sasuke nodded in satisfaction and collapsed on the futon. “And stay out of each other’s rooms, I don’t want either of you trying anything.”

“Yes, Mother.” Itachi called as he walked to the fridge.

“I don’t think he trusts you anymore, Itachi.” Naruto commented. “He usually singles me out.” Itachi just smiled innocently.

“Stir-fry sound good?” Itachi said, sounding unusually upbeat as he pulled out some vegetables.  

“Holy shit, yes. I’m _starving._ ” Naruto exclaimed. Itachi smiled widely as he glanced at Naruto.

If Naruto caught himself letting his eyes linger on Itachi’s revealed neck throughout the evening – no one else needed to know.

 

* * *

 

Itachi stood in the Hokage’s office at some ungodly hour in the morning. This alone wasn’t cause for concern, or even terribly uncommon, however; he was stuck in there _, alone_ , with Kakashi of all people.

Itachi spent years dealing with Kakashi. From the moment Itachi entered Anbu when he was eleven, the man has hovered in the corner of his eye, subtly plotting how to make Itachi’s day just _that much worse_. Itachi rarely ever let the man get to him, recognizing the game for what it was, but _sometimes_ –

Some people might have accused Itachi of being paranoid, but the stupid smile Itachi just _knew_ was plastered on Kakashi’s masked face was proof otherwise.

Or so he told himself.

It was truly unfortunate the two of them worked so well with each other on missions – the Hokage realized this early on and the two often became de facto partners on sensitive high-risk missions.  Itachi had no idea how they hadn’t managed to murder each other yet, let alone how they managed to have a 100% success rate on their joint missions. It was also terribly unfortunate how Kakashi seemed intent on involving himself in Itachi’s personal life.

It was even more unfortunate he’d pretty much cemented himself there, especially now that he was Sasuke’s teacher.

But Itachi was getting away from himself.

There he was, alone, in the Hokage’s office, with Kakashi’s smug (yet masked) face staring at him. Itachi continued staring impassively at the wall behind the Hokage’s desk, not allowing any indication of irritation show in his countenance. Doing that would mean Kakashi won.

“How’s Naruto-kun?” Kakashi asked. Itachi raised a brow, not giving into the bait. “What? It’s a legitimate question. I haven’t seen him in a while. Sasuke-kun just kicks me when I ask him. Sometimes he’ll mumble something about an evil seducing freeloader. Oh, and Sakura-chan tells me the two of you are engaged – Congratulations.”

“Oh ho – what’s this about an _engagement_?” A boisterous voice broke through the entrance of the office as the door flew open and hit the wall with a loud thud. One of the hinges of the door broke, causing the door to hang crookedly off the wall. Jiraiya of the Sannin jumped into the room, his hair bristling out and blocking the people behind him. Tsunade firmly planted a foot between his shoulder blades and pushed him forward. He nearly flew out the window. Orochimaru shook his head as he followed her inside the office. The Yondaime stared mournfully at his door as he pulled in behind Orochimaru.

“Engagement?” Tsunade asked skeptically. “Who’s engaged? The pervert or the kid?” She eyed Itachi. “Aren’t you a bit young to be engaged? What are you? Fourteen?”

“He’s seventeen, Hime!” Jiraiya corrected after pulling himself out of the window. “I’d say that’s a perfect age to be wooing the beautiful flowers of the village! But _engagement_? Much too soon, my young friend. You must first engage in the carnal delights of –“

Tsunade socked him in the face and he really did go flying through the window this time. Orochimaru hid his face with a hand. Itachi didn’t much like Orochimaru, but at that moment he recognized him as a kindred spirit. The Yondaime walked over to his newly broken window and mourned it.

“There’s a reason people are afraid of the three of you when you’re together. I’m not sure it’s for the same reasons you think, however.” The Yondaime grimly informed. Tsunade shrugged and examined her nails while Orochimaru examined the younger occupants of the room. “So engagement, huh?” The Yondaime questioned as he waited for Jiraiya to come back from wherever he landed.

Kakashi beat Itachi to the punch. “Yes, I’ve heard from a reliable source that Itachi-kun and Naruto-kun are getting married.” The Yondaime and Tsunade looked at Itachi in amusement. Itachi tried really hard not to let anything show on his face, but he must have failed as their amusement only seemed to increase.

Jiraiya popped back in through the window.

“ _As I was saying_ – “

“Perhaps we should begin focusing on the reason we’ve gathered here?” Orochimaru interrupted. Jiraiya shot him a wounded look. The Yondaime nodded and walked around to the other side of his desk.

“Before we begin, if the two of you don’t mind recapping what you’ve found for Kakashi and Itachi?” He asked, indicating Tsunade and Orochimaru.

“You mean what we _haven’t_ found?” Tsunade snorted. “He died of an acute onset of hell if I know. The blood flow to his motor cortex was completely blocked off, indicating a stroke – however he also showed signs of congestion in the stomach as well as hepatosplenomegaly – his liver and spleen were three times the size they should have been.  All of this is indicative of poisoning – if we could _find_ a single trace of poison in his system. His body was still warm when it was found, no poison could disappear that quickly. Even Orochimaru, who has the _creepiest damned interest_ in poison in the world is oblivious.”

“Venom,” Orochimaru corrected. “I’m interested in _venomous creatures_. We’ve had this discussion before. Venom and poison are not the same, I _know_ you know this, Tsunade. And the man has no puncture wounds indicating he was bitten, stung, or injected by anything.”

Tsunade continued, “Whatever it was worked fast and got the hell out of his system before we could catch it.  It must have happened in a matter of minutes – He’d been seen in perfect health not even thirty minutes prior to his death by members of Anbu as well as a team of genin and chunin who were preparing to leave on a mission.”

“That’s not even the exciting part.” Jiraiya stepped in. “Turns out his eye was surgically removed while he was still _alive_.”

“And it was professionally done, as well. Every mednin in Konoha has been under constant surveillance since his death – which has been making work at the hospital _exceptionally_ difficult, Hokage-sama.” Tsunade hinted with the subtlety of a bear.

Orochimaru continued for Tsunade. “It’s very likely that his assassin managed to somehow cut the rest of his brain off from his motor cortex, effectively immobilizing him. Removing the eye from a live subject ensures it would remain in the best possible condition after removal. If some sort of toxin was used against him, it was likely created specifically to keep him alive just long enough to remove his eye.”

“The bigger question is _why_?” Jiraiya pointed out. “I’ve known the guy a long time, never liked the shady bastard, but I’m pretty sure there was nothing going on with his eye. Now if he had a sharingan or something, that’s a whole different story.”

Itachi agreed. He’d met Danzo while he was in Anbu as the man had a significant role in its operations, but his eye was simply that – an eye. Danzo had no bloodline ability, he’d never had an eye transplant, and even if he’d managed to get a hold on a sharingan or a byakugan from the Hyuugas, it’d be very obvious as he’d be unable to return his eye to a resting state. He glimpsed briefly at Kakashi.

“Right now, Danzo’s death is a large question mark.” The Yondaime stated. “I have personally been going through his effects and operations to see if I could find anything to give us some answers. I have not found anything of the sort. What I _have_ found is that Shimura Danzo had an unhealthy fascination with Jinchurinki.”

Itachi would have rather heard _anything_ else at that moment.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seem to enjoy making really damned stupid comics too much. My sense of humor stopped developing when I was very young. I'd apologize, but I'm not actually sorry. But at the very least I'm getting better at coloring on the computer! 
> 
> When I write I'm usually imagining ghost Sasuke standing around and judging everyone. He needs a hug. 
> 
> Anyways - I've written an outline of the bare bones of the story (finally) and it looks like if I stick to it, there will be about 17 chapters total. Knowing me, that will probably turn to like 20 or something cuz I write way too much unnecessary crap that I really don't need to write, but whatever. But the plot is finally (noticeably) in motion, yay! I've known the overall plot since the start, but I seem to keep making it more and more complicated in my head while I write. But it's probably still pretty simple. I'm not Stephen King or James Patterson or whoever writes stuff. George R. R. Martin? 
> 
> ANYWAYS. Fight scenes are hard to write. I've been trying to do that and failing pretty miserably, so we'll see how that turns out when it comes around. I might have to do some 'research'. But yea, hopefully you're all still enjoying this. I'm trying to write with a good balance between humor and serious stuff, but I think I'm failing so far. Oh well. Let me know what you think, I really don't mind criticism. I'm still figuring out this writing business. 
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos!


	7. Glory Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Familiar faces with unfamiliar eyes.

“We should leave.” Sasuke’s muted voice somehow managed not to echo throughout the cavernous space they shielded themselves from the outside world in. Naruto pulled his eyes away from his work in confusion.

“Is there something wrong with the caves? Have you seen anything outside?” Naruto asked as he cracked his neck sideways, wincing at the loud snap. “If we’re compromised, we need to inform the group and relocate.”

Sasuke stood as still as the stale air around him.

“I meant _we_ should leave, Naruto.” Sasuke amended. Naruto’s face twisted indignantly and Sasuke cut him off before he could misinterpret again or argue. “We’re at risk in a group this large. Yesterday, Temari almost led three of them straight to us. If Gaara hadn’t been checking the snares, we’d have been caught in a fight we weren’t prepared for. Not to mention, whenever we run into survivors, no one has the heart to ignore them. We can’t afford that anymore. Not with what we have at stake.”

“It’s _because_ of this group that we’re still alive, Sasuke.” Naruto whispered harshly, glancing around to make sure they were alone. “And what would you do with survivors? Walk right by them?”

“Yes.” Sasuke answered simply. “And no, Naruto. We are not alive because of this group. We are slowly _dying_ because of this group. And they are losing hope. I can see it in their eyes. Ino was only the start – how long until someone else cracks?”

“It sounds to me like _you’re_ the one that’s cracking.” Naruto ground out. His voice fell dead in front of him. He shivered at how unnatural it sounded.

Sasuke ignored him as usual. “If the two of us left on our own: we’d have less dead weight to drag around, finding food and water would never be a problem again, and if we were ever attacked – between Kamui and your space-time seals, we’d never have to waste energy fighting things that don’t die. _Or_ the things that do. We’d find somewhere small and remote where you can spend as much time as possible on the seal without disruption or drama.”

“And then what, Sasuke?” Naruto asked in a defeated tone. “Use the seal, just the two of us? Leave everyone behind?”

“We won’t be leaving them, Naruto. We’d erase this timeline completely and they’d be able to live the lives they were supposed to. Remembering this world is a punishment – We’d be doing them a favor.” Naruto stared grimly at the seal in front of him. “Besides, I know you’re aware of the limitations of your seal. It requires a lot of chakra to activate, doesn’t it?” Sasuke murmured silkily. “How many people do you think would be able to actually make the trip when you complete it?”

“Stop. Sasuke, just – Stop. Please.” Naruto forced out. “I – I can’t talk about this. We’re _not_ leaving the group.”

“Have you seen how they look at you lately? Like you’re _wasting everyone’s time_? Gaara is the only one of them who has never doubted you, but how long until he decides it’s been long enough?”

“ _Sasuke_.” Naruto snarled. Sasuke stared impassively, unimpressed.

“Fine. But eventually, circumstances will force you to see that I’m right. The two of us – that’s all we’ve ever truly had, isn’t it?” Sasuke’s voice echoed in Naruto’s head, as it could not in the dead space around them.

 

* * *

 

Naruto awoke to a loud _CAW_ being squawked straight into his ear. Instinctively, he swiped at the intruder before blearily realizing it was one of Itachi’s summons. He lethargically stared at it a moment too long before it pecked his forehead and held out a leg with a small note attached.

“OW. Damnit, seriously? What the hell.” He muttered incoherently as he warily snatched the note, suspicious of every movement the bird made. He had a thing with crows ever since _that one time_. Itachi: the master of traumatizing people. Even when he means well.

The note succinctly read:

_Naruto,_

_Meet us at the Hokage’s office as soon as possible – important._

_–Itachi_

Naruto stared blankly at the words as his sleep-addled brain attempted to process them in much the same way a dog might attempt to understand where its food went immediately after eating it.

“Itachi, your notes suck.” Naruto said through a yawn. He fell back onto the bed, stretching his arms languidly outwards. The crow hopped onto his chest and stared down impassively at him, its beak primed and ready to strike down into his very heart.

“UGH. Okay, jeez.” Naruto sat back up, batting the crow away. He pulled on a simple black shirt from the closet and picked up a relatively clean pair of shorts from the floor. His hair, unable to be fixed by brushing it with his fingers, was haphazardly banished back with a hair tie he found on the ground. Probably Itachi’s, although he had no idea why or how it was in his room. The crow hopped on his shoulder, digging it’s talons through cloth and into his flesh as he casually jumped through the open window.

The stars in full view were his only indication of what time it was. He walked briskly, wondering what was so important he needed to be awake this early.

“Naruto.” Sasuke’s voice came from his left. He looked over, coming face to face with his imaginary best friend. It was the clearest he’d ever seen one of his ghosts. He glared blearily at him, ignoring the familiar stab of remorse spreading throughout his chest.

“It’s too early for this. In fact, it’s always too early for this. When do I get to stop seeing things?”

Sasuke rolled his shoulders back as if he’d been stuck in an uncomfortable position for a long time. “Just because I’m in your head, it doesn’t mean I’m not real.”

“Oh, I guess that means the delicious miso ramen I’m imagining should pop into existence any time now.” Naruto said, glancing around melodramatically. “I’m not going to have to count to three, am I? Cuz I can’t count that high.”

Sasuke snorted. “I’m glad that all the years you’ve spent studying fuinjutsu hasn’t dulled your genius for idiocy.”

Naruto side eyed the vision of his friend skeptically. That was such a Sasuke remark, Naruto could hardly believe it _wasn’t_ his friend standing there beside him. But a vision is all he could be – he threw no shadow behind him, and disturbed neither dust nor pebble under his feet. Regardless, the familiar presence calmed him and the melancholy thoughts flittering through his mind brought him a cold focus he hadn’t been aware he lacked. He kept his eyes trained ahead of him as he headed through the double doors of the building and up to the Hokage’s office. Sasuke seemed content to walk silently – impossibly unobtrusively – beside him. He knocked on the heavy wooden doors, the rich sound bouncing back at him as loud and sharp as a whip in a small room.

The crow perched on his shoulder dissipated in a burst of feathers as the door opened, revealing the stoic face of Itachi on the other side. Itachi smiled politely before stepping aside to let Naruto through. Naruto visibly tensed as he recognized the other people in the room – namely the Sannin. Fortunately, the calm his vision of Sasuke managed to bring him allowed him to retain his composure in the face of his old teacher Jiraiya and the body-snatcher Orochimaru. However, Sasuke – still at his side – frowned for Naruto, glaring vehemently at the man who refused to die time and time again.

 _He looks old,_ Naruto managed to think before a mass of white hair with a face suddenly took up his line of sight.

“Uh,” Naruto squeaked out as Jiraiya _hmm_ ’d dramatically inches away from Naruto’s face.

“Well, he’s definitely an Uzumaki!” Jiraiya excitedly proclaimed after a sufficient amount of time to be considered theatric. Minato’s eyes were rolled upwards as if awaiting divine intervention while both Tsunade and Orochimaru shared a look of thinly veiled vexation.

“I think we’ve clarified that already, Jiraiya.” Tsunade droned dangerously.

Jiraiya waved her off and continued. “Hey kid, Minato’s shown me some of the stuff you’ve come up with – I’ve gotta say, it’s pretty fine work you do!”

Naruto blinked a few times and glanced over at Itachi. Sasuke stood invisibly at Itachi’s side, giving Naruto an unprecedented moment of distress as he truly recognized how similar their faces were. Sasuke raised a brow when Naruto had been staring too long.

“Uh.” Naruto managed. It was really too early for any of this.

“The fuinjutsu! He showed me some of your concepts, it was like looking at an entirely new art form – beautiful, although nothing is quite as beautiful as the lovely Tsunade-Hime! I’ll admit, I thought you’d be older. You must have had an incredible teacher to be so proficient at your age!”

Naruto almost stammered out another _Uh_ , before Minato saved him.

“Naruto-kun, sorry to call you in so early. We’ve recently come into some information that I believe you might be able to help us process, if you don’t mind. The man invading your personal space is none other than my sensei, Jiraiya, and over by Tsunade is Orochimaru – I’m sure you’ve heard of the three of them, they’re known as the Sannin throughout the nations.”

Naruto rubbed his eyes, the tired ache within them stubbornly refusing to yield. “Yeah, I’ve heard.” He said, trying not to think about the people he knew. This Jiraiya had never been his sensei – This Orochimaru had supposedly never betrayed the village and he looked _old._ Naruto optimistically chose to believe that meant he wasn’t a sociopathic immortality seeking obsessive maniac here. For the moment. Okay, for maybe half an hour if he could manage it. “Nice to meet you.” He said, casting Orochimaru another dubious look before avoiding looking at him altogether. Jiraiya grinned widely as he opened his mouth to say something.

“The pleasure is all ours.” Orochimaru smoothly interrupted. “We hear you’re currently the resident expert when it comes to matters on Jinchurinki.”

Unfazed, Jiraiya said, “You don’t really look like the Jinchurinki type to me, not quite awake enough.” He said, squinting his eyes and rubbing his chin in a way that might have been dramatic if he had a beard. Naruto blinked some more, dispelling the ridiculous image that brought to mind.

“Then you clearly haven’t met Gaara.” He let slip.

Minato’s eyes focused their undivided attention on Naruto over from where he was sitting at his desk. “So you _have_ met other Jinchurinki. Naruto-kun, would you mind answering a few questions for us?”

Naruto eyed the door he came in from as if he’d rather Itachi had slammed it in his face.

“Uh,” Naruto started, glancing at the Uchihas both standing casually with their arms crossed and professionally sculpted bored expressions adorning their faces. “If I – If I might know for what purpose?” He tried to sound mature, but really just sounded like he fell asleep on a classic literature book, accent and all. He yawned into his arm.

Minato stood up, walking around his desk to stand in front of Naruto. “First, I need your oath to keep all information you hear in this room today confidential. I’m afraid even then I can’t tell you many details, but I need you to understand the severity of the situation we are dealing with.”

Naruto woke up suddenly for the second time that morning, all of the cells within him that were screaming for sleep suddenly becoming alert. He evaluated the man in front of him. It was far too easy to see him as the eccentric man he’d befriended and not the Hokage of Konohagakure.  

“Of course, Hokage-sama. I swear I would never betray your trust. If there is anything I can help you with, I’ll do what I can – Although I’m really not sure what help I can give you.” Naruto said, the unease he felt at the situation managing to stay out of his voice. The Yondaime surveyed the redhead across him, assessing the oddly familiar blue eyes for sincerity. Satisfied, he nodded and walked back over to his desk. Naruto noticed the gold glint of Orochimaru’s eyes glued to him like leather on a humid day. He saw Sasuke tense further. If anyone understood Orochimaru’s looks, it was Sasuke.

“Maa, so the secret of getting Naruto to talk is appealing to his honor.” Kakashi said. Naruto somehow stifled the ‘ _eep!_ ’ that wanted to reveal itself when Kakashi came out from wherever he was hiding. “No wonder I’ve been failing.” Naruto stuck his tongue out at the man, earning an eye roll from Tsunade and complete apathy from his target.

“This isn’t about ‘ _getting Naruto to talk_ ’, Kakashi.” The Yondaime scolded. “This is about the very security of our village.” He grabbed a photograph off the top of his desk and handed it to Naruto. “First of all, I’d like to confirm this: Naruto, have you ever met or seen this man before?” It was what must have been a recent photograph of Shimura Danzo, although he looked much healthier than how Naruto remembered him from his own time.

It was easy enough to differentiate between the two Danzos as he answered, “Shimura Danzo, right? I’ve never met or seen him personally before, no.” He handed the photo back to the Yondaime.

Minato nodded. “As you are likely aware, the circumstances surrounding his death are mysterious at the very least. I’ve come across some information that may or may not be able to point us in the appropriate direction in how to investigate this further – although, it’s not a matter easily looked into.”

“Jinchurinki.” Naruto concluded.

Minato folded his hands behind him as he nodded again. “Yes. I’ve found records that implicate he’s had somewhat of an obsession, not only with Jinchurinki, but the possible capture of them to – what he claims in his entries – solidify the defenses of Konoha.”

Naruto couldn’t even pretend to be surprised. The man had always seen power as means to an end, and the bijuu _were_ power – raw and malleable enough to suit the ambitious man’s purposes. He stared coldly at the ground. He missed the concern that flickered across Itachi’s face beside him.

“You think a Jinchurinki might have been involved in his death?” Naruto asked.

“It’s too soon to say.” Minato admitted. “Ultimately, there is nothing incriminating in any of the documents he has left behind, but the amount of interest he had in Jinchurinki was enough to warrant concern. This was a man who never allowed anything to slip by him – the fact that I am even able to determine he had an interest in anything at all is miraculous in the least. Self-conscious and paranoid are words that could have been created in definition of Danzo. Whether or not this had anything to do with his death – I need to confirm that he hasn’t been doing anything criminal behind my back.”

Naruto heard fake Sasuke let out a mocking snort and Naruto himself was hard pressed to keep one in.

“Criminal – as in targeting and capturing Jinchurinki?” Naruto asked, getting to the point.

“Yes. And as you are a former Jinchurinki, you might be able to shed more light on the situation. I know this is a difficult subject for you, but could you please tell us exactly what happened and who was involved when the bijuu was extracted from you?”

It was then that Naruto really understood what was being asked: Was Danzo responsible for the extraction?

“Knowing which bijuu was sealed inside of you may aid us, as well.” Orochimaru’s voiced joined the conversation as if it belonged there. A shiver ran down Naruto’s spine.

Naruto steeled his jaw and refrained from doing something stupid, like throwing a Rasengan at Orochimaru’s face. It was only at this exact moment in time Naruto realized the agony of his situation – he had an untold story written and ready to be published to everyone with ears, a story that had the possibility of saving countless lives, a story that would ostracize him and leave him with nothing. Again. 

If there was ever a time he needed to lie convincingly – it was right now. He channeled his inner Shikamaru.

“I didn’t even know I was a Jinchurinki until I was twelve and there was an – accident.” Naruto non-answered. “I’m sorry.” He apologized, glancing at Orochimaru. He hoped that would get him past the question of which bijuu he had, rather than raise their suspicions. He didn’t see Minato’s frown or the complex expression that crossed his face. “As for the extraction – I don’t mind talking about it. You might be either relieved or disappointed to hear it had nothing to do with Shimura Danzo, though.” He frowned as he recalled his experience, avoiding the several pairs of eyes watching his every move. “It was about five years ago now. A man named – Tobi –captured me and went ahead with the extraction. I survived, he didn’t kill me afterwards, that’s really about it.” Naruto knew by the look on Minato’s face it wasn’t nearly enough information for him.  

“Who exactly was this man and what were his intentions by extracting the bijuu?” Minato began his cross examination.

“Tobi was – he wasn’t a bad guy at heart. I just need to say that now.” Naruto crossed his arms and tried to keep the anguish from welling up inside of him. “He saw something ugly when he was young and he let that ugliness fester inside of him. He wanted a world where nothing like what he experienced could ever happen again and he thought that power was the key in obtaining that world.”

“You seem oddly defensive of a man who nearly killed you.” Tsunade bit out, not bothering to hide her distaste. Naruto closed his eyes.

“Was he your friend?” Jiraiya asked, something like pity tainting his voice.

Naruto bit his lip. “I’m not sure we ever made it to the point of being friends, but he sacrificed his life to save mine in the end. I’ve forgiven him for what he did.”

“Just to confirm: He extracted the bijuu to become a Jinchurinki himself, correct?” Minato asked for clarification. At Naruto’s nod, he continued, “So the current location of the bijuu is unknown to you?”

“Correct.” Naruto confirmed.

“And there is no possible chance that Tobi’s actions were connected or involved with Shimura Danzo or Konoha at all?”

“Correct.” Naruto repeated. At the very least, nothing he said was a lie in the context of this universe. It was a cold comfort.

Minato stood still, his expression blank. Naruto somehow got the impression he was disappointed with the lack of incriminating evidence against Danzo. He couldn’t blame him.

Well, it was that or he didn’t believe Naruto at all.

“You said,” Minato began, pausing awkwardly before starting again, “You said you knew other Jinchurinki? If you could tell us what you know about them, just so that we can confirm they’re out there and that Danzo hasn’t been hunting them down – It would put me at ease.”

The unease lingering in the back of Naruto’s mind grew legs and sprinted through each nerve in his body at this point. There had to be more to this than what the Yondaime was saying. He cast probing glances at the faces around him, for all the good it did. He was surrounded by practiced liars, and for the first time since he woke up in this universe – he felt trapped. He eyed the locked door.

“I’m sorry, Minato-san.” Naruto cautiously said as his paranoia ramped up. “I’m really not comfortable releasing that information. Jinchurinki like to keep themselves inconspicuous for a reason. People don’t really like us.”

Minato’s face twisted almost imperceptively for a moment, before he nodded in acquiescence. Naruto noticed Orochimaru studying the Yondaime’s face with a raptness he usually reserved for potential science experiments.

“I understand. I apologize for putting you in an uncomfortable situation. If I may at least ask how many Jinchurinki you know are out there?”

Guilt crept through Naruto’s stomach at his lack of trust in the Yondaime – the man who would have been his father. He would never use the information for personal gain or underhanded purposes. He was just genuinely concerned for the wellbeing of the other Jinchurinki – Understandably so, considering his wife was one. Naruto knew he wouldn’t have hesitated for a second about revealing this information to _his_ Tsunade when she still had a village to govern. Naruto glanced over at her, watching undiluted concern and sorrow cloud her features as she watched Minato. Naruto made a decision.

“I – I’ll tell you some names I’ve heard might be other Jinchurinki.” Naruto said in contradiction to his earlier statement. The Yondaime straightened up, confused but not about to question Naruto’s abrupt change of heart.  “But only you.” Naruto added. He looked over at Jiraiya. “And you.”

“Why would you choose _Jiraiya_ of all people?” Tsunade asked skeptically, not trying to dissuade him, but genuinely curious. “Is this some sort of fuinjutsu club nonsense?”

Jiraiya, most certainly baffled at being included in the _very_ short list of people Naruto chose to confide in, didn’t let it show on his face. He grinned and puffed out his chest. “Those of us who understand the delicate and subtle beauty of fuinjutsu understand each other on a level no other could hope to achieve, Hime.”

Naruto scratched his head and said, “Well, he was Minato-san’s sensei, right? I figure that makes him trustworthy enough.” Tsunade balked at the lack of logic in his statement while Orochimaru turned his critical gaze back on Naruto, evaluating him. At his side, Naruto noticed Itachi and Kakashi watching him as well. He hoped Itachi didn’t take offense at his decision, but if there was one person in the room Naruto trusted this sort of information with more than anyone, it was Jiraiya. Naruto was convinced no universe could change that man. Not that he could tell anyone that. He almost relented and included Kakashi as well, but he figured the fewer people who knew this information, the better. Also, he was damned _positive_ that Itachi would take offense at that.

After the room cleared out, leaving only Minato, Jiraiya, and Naruto behind, Naruto forced himself to relax. He had to remind himself that they, essentially, were his _father_ and his _sensei_. They were good people and they wouldn’t abuse the information. Naruto grabbed a piece of paper from the Hokage’s desk and wrote a list of names – many of which he only became familiar with after their deaths.

Gaara of Suna.

Nii Yugito of Kumo.

Yagura of Kiri.

Roshi of Iwa.

Han of Iwa.

Utakata of Kiri.

Fu of Taki.

Killer B of Kumo.

He studied their names before handing it over, ignoring the shame of essentially selling out people who he knew only wanted to be left alone. He fleetingly wondered when the vision of Sasuke disappeared.

“This is more specific than I’d thought it would be.” Minato said. “There are eight names on this list.” he mumbled to himself after committing them to memory.

“Yeah.” Naruto replied, crossing his arms. “And I can’t even promise all of them are Jinchurinki or even alive.” He muttered. “This is just – what I’ve gathered throughout my travels.”

“Well,” Jiraiya said, his voice oddly subdued. “This is a huge time-saver at the very least – even if only a few of them are correct. We already knew about Killer B and the kid from Suna, and we’ve had suspicions about Yagura for a while now. I’ve heard of Roshi, but I don’t think anyone’s heard _from_ him for a very long time. Kid, how did you come up with this list? I’ve been on the road for _years_ , and the limited information I get on Jinchurinki is always hearsay at best. Half of the people I’ve looked into turned out to not exist or be desperate for the wrong kind of attention.”

Naruto shrugged. “It’s different when you’re a _member_ of the exclusive group you’re trying to find information on.”

Jiraiya grinned at that. “I suppose that’s true. And don’t worry – I’m just going to be checking out these names to make sure Danzo hasn’t stuck his fingers anywhere they shouldn’t have been. Most of them will never know I was there. I respect the fact you don’t want these names getting out – it says a lot about your character.”

“Naruto-kun…” Minato trailed. “Out of these names, have you heard whether any of them might be the Jinchurinki containing the Kyuubi?”

Naruto froze as he realized his terrible mistake. Sasuke flickered back into his vision, a sadistic smirk on his face.

“You realize you’ve given him the names of every Jinchurinki _other_ than the one containing the Kyuubi?” Sasuke pointed out. “If they’ve all managed to become Jinchurinkis in this universe as well, that leaves only you as a known Jinchurinki – and considering you’ve already told them you were one since birth and that your extraction was only five years ago…” Sasuke’s face was positively smug at this point. “You’re inevitably going to get caught in a lie. Sooner – rather than later. You’d better hope the Toad Sage doesn’t look too closely into the history of the people on that list. And judging by the way your father has been staring at those names – that hope is futile.”

Well _shit._

“Naruto-kun?” Minato asked.

Naruto was so fucked. What were the chances that the Jinchurinkis here were different people? At least _one_ of them had to be different, right?

Okay, alright – The best thing to do is to go with the flow. Everything’s _fine_.

“Uh,” He said dumbly.  Sasuke’s unhelpful face continued smirking at him from where he was leaning against the Hokage’s desk. “Sorry – I was just – remembering something.” He ran a hand through his hair, forgetting it was tied up and getting his fingers stuck. “The – uh – Kyuubi? That – that was…” he trailed off, glancing awkwardly between Minato and the frame on his desk Naruto knew held a picture of Kushina.  Minato’s face took on a somber expression.

“So you already knew.” Minato determined. “Yes, my wife was the previous Jinchurinki of the Kyuubi.” I’ve attempted to locate the Kyuubi over the years to no avail. I can only imagine it either found a good place to hide or someone managed to track it down before I could.”

Naruto looked away. “I’m sorry. There are probably – definitely – mistakes on the list I gave you and whether or not one of them might be the current Jinchurinki of the Kyuubi – I don’t know.” He tried to think up an escape hatch in his story if his list _did_ end up being accurate. Amnesia? Mind control?

“Insanity? Delusion?” Sasuke added to Naruto’s internal list. “Honesty?” He tacked on obnoxiously. “You’re usually all about that, aren’t you?”

“You’re going to find the people on the list, right?” Naruto asked Jiraiya.

“Yup, information has always been my game – so this will be right up my alley!”

“I could go with you, if you want. I have a lot of experience with travelling and they might be more willing to talk to a former Jinchurinki if you _do_ manage to catch up with any of them.”

“I appreciate the offer, kid, but I’ve heard about what happened to you and about the condition with your chakra – I’d feel bad dragging you cross-country, especially when I can tell you’re not back in the best shape yet. Not to mention Tsunade would be chasing us down the whole time, determined to kill us both for ‘reckless endangerment’ or whatever excuse she needs to pummel me into the ground at the time.”

The disappointment must have shown on his face because Minato and Jiraiya looked at each other uncertainly.

“Surely you don’t want to leave the village that badly, Naruto-kun? I know the atmosphere around here hasn’t been that great lately…” Minato tried.

“What? No, no. It’s not like that. Konoha – this village has become the closest thing to home that I’ve had in a long time. It’s just that – There are some things out there I’d like to confirm for myself, as well.” The corners of Naruto’s mouth pulled upwards in a facsimile of a smile, but his eyes remained unfocused as he sorted through his thoughts.

“Well, if it’s anything you don’t mind telling me about, I could listen in on a few extra things while I’m out on the lam? Minato and I share the same summoning contract, so we’re able to stay in contact at just about any given time. If I hear anything, I’d be able to let you know almost immediately.”

“That’s –“ Naruto suddenly remembered Nagato. Jiraiya could answer one of his biggest questions right now. “Actually, yeah. Have you ever seen anyone with eyes like-“ He grabbed another piece of paper and drew the best approximation he could of the Rinnegan. Fortunately, it was much easier than attempting to draw the Sharingan. Naruto would know. He’s tried.  “ – This.” He held it up and watched both Minato’s and Jiraiya’s expression change from curiosity to bemused interest.

“Those look like the eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths! It’s pretty unlikely anyone in the world has those eyes anymore – unless the legend himself comes back to life.” Jiraiya said.

“Oh.” Naruto said, unsure if this information was good or bad. Was it _really_ possible Madara never developed the Rinnegan in this universe? Or did he manage to hide it better? Naruto tapped his foot nervously on the ground.

“But if you want, I can ask around. If someone _is_ running around with eyes like that – well someone is bound to have seen them. You don’t forget eyes like those.” Jiraiya assured.

“Yeah – if you don’t mind.” Naruto said. “Sorry. I know it sounds kind of crazy, but it’s really important to me.” Naruto had faith in Jiraiya’s information hounding – With no leads to go on, Naruto would be as useless as Sasuke was at cooking if he tried to get that information on his own. He was suddenly glad he didn’t follow his original instincts and leave the village those few weeks ago. He’d have been at a complete loss.

“Have _you_ seen someone with eyes like that?” Minato asked. Somehow, Naruto honestly didn’t see that question coming.

“What? Oh, no. Just rumors and stuff. I’ve never actually seen anything.” He said a little too quickly. He was too busy staring anxiously out the window to see the contemplative expression on Jiraiya’s face.  Naruto tried to think of anything else that Jiraiya should pay attention to while out on the road, but with no Akatsuki, no Rinnegan, and no wayward Obito – the closest possible threat that needed attention was here in the village. Namely – Orochimaru.

For some reason, Naruto doubted his current audience would appreciate any remarks against the man. He idly wondered if he could send Not-Sasuke on spying missions. He was invisible, so he’d be the best spy ever. Did hallucinations work that way?

“You should just kill him.” Sasuke suggested from where he was now sitting fully on the Hokage’s desk, one leg hanging down lazily.

Alright, well. Not-Sasuke was clearly biased and should not be trusted with information retrieval missions.

“I think that’s all, unless you have more information on the Jinchurinki?” Minato asked.

Naruto snapped back to reality. “No, I think that’s all I have. If I think of anything else that might help you, I’ll let you know. But like I said earlier – I’m not even sure that list will do you much good.”

“Anything else you need me to keep an eye out there for?” Jiraiya asked.

Naruto hesitated before saying there wasn’t. Was he sure there wasn’t anything?

“You haven’t seen any – plant-looking guys, have you?” Naruto awkwardly said, unfortunately aware of how stupid he sounded.

“Plant-looking…?” Jiraiya blinked a few times as he attempted to process that.

“Yeah, imagine a Venus flytrap – except humanish. Believe me, you’d know when you see them. There’s two of them, but they can, uh, smoosh together? When they’re separate, one is completely black – imagine a black silhouette with eyes, the other is white and much more human looking. But they’re not. Human, I mean. They’re definitely not human.”

After a moment, Jiraiya said, “I’m getting the impression you’ve seen some weird stuff in your day.”

_You have no idea, Ero Sennin._

“Just, if you ever see this thing or hear about it – let me know. Even if it’s twenty years in the future.”

“Gotcha – so, keep an eye out for eyes straight out of a storybook and watch out for walking Venus flytraps.” Jiraiya confirmed. Naruto nodded. “What would you do with the flytrap if I found it?”

“Set it on fire? Feed it to hungry caterpillars? Make stir fry?” Naruto mused.

“I’ve changed my mind. You’re coming with me. I think the two of us could have some great times – we can outrun Tsunade if we _have_ to. Running might even be fun – unless she catches us. Then it’s the _opposite_ of fun.” Jiraiya said. Naruto looked a little too eager at the prospect.

Minato coughed. “That’s really probably not the best idea. Naruto-kun, Tsunade is still working on a possible way to stabilize your chakra – We can’t stop you from leaving the village, but for your own health I would recommend you stay nearby until Tsunade gives you the go ahead.”

Naruto already accepted he wouldn’t be going – but it was a nice thought. The years he spent training with Jiraiya were some of the best times of his life, to have another chance at that –  

He grinned and looked apologetically at Jiraiya, who sighed dramatically in response.

It was fine, Naruto tried to convince himself. Even if all of the Jinchurinki were the same in this world – it would still take months to track all of them down. He could worry about the tangles in his story when or if they came back around to him.

Right now he had to look into Danzo and Orochimaru – because, really, what were the chances they weren’t connected?

The weird, inexplicable death of _Danzo_ of all people _,_ and with missing body parts? Orochimaru might as well have written his name out in Danzo’s blood next to the body as far as Naruto was concerned.

Sasuke watched him, silently and without expression.

 

* * *

 

“The location isn’t too far away, so I won’t be gone for more than a week.” Itachi explained to Naruto over lunch later that day.

Naruto slurped down some noodles before responding, “It’s not about the Jinchurinki stuff, is it?”

“No.” Itachi replied after a beat. “It seems Yondaime-sama is having Jiraiya-san look into that on his own.”

“Oh, good.” Naruto said. At Itachi’s perplexed frown, Naruto hastily continued, “Not that I don’t think you’d be able to handle it or anything. I just don’t think that, uh, I don’t think you should get involved in that stuff.” He avoided eye contact as he shoved as much ramen he could into his mouth.

“But you’re okay with someone you’ve never met before getting involved? I’m not speaking only for myself when I say it was a strange decision.”

Naruto slowly chewed the colossal amount of ramen sitting on his tongue and painfully swallowed.

“Who else would I have told? Kakashi has a genin team to teach, Tsunade-baachan runs a hospital, Orochimaru's creepy, and like I said – I don’t think you should get involved with Jinchurinki if you can avoid it.”

“Naruto, you’re a terrible liar.” Itachi said over his untouched bowl.

“I’m not lying!”

“You are.” Itachi said. He cut Naruto off before he could protest more, “Its fine.” He tersely finished.

It clearly _wasn’t_ fine.

“Now who’s lying?” Naruto grumbled.  He pushed his bowl away and glared at the countertop of Ichiraku’s Ramen.  Thinking about Jinchurinki and Itachi at the same time only served as a reminder that some of the people on the list he wrote out earlier were essentially killed _by_ Itachi through extraction.

Naruto looked at him. He was the same age he’d been in Naruto’s universe when they met for the first time. If you could call that a meeting. A hollow point spread within him as he realized he’d never be able to save _that_ Itachi; the one who needed a friend so desperately, he never found one.

“Itachi,” Naruto hesitantly started. “Just be careful out there, alright?” There was something going on and Naruto didn’t know what it was yet. It’s been a long time since he hasn’t known what he was up against.

It’s been a long time since he’s done _anything_ other than draw lines on paper.

Itachi turned to face Naruto, his face perfectly devoid of all expression. Naruto held back a flinch as he pushed away the memory of red eyes and a calm, _calm_ voice.

“There’s no need to worry about me, Naruto. I’m more than capable of handling myself, no matter the situation.”

 _I never said you couldn’t_ , Naruto thought indignantly. He glared at his empty ramen bowl as if it were to blame for his situation.

“Sorry.” Itachi said, catching Naruto off guard. “I’m not sure why I’m being so irritable.” His eyes seemed unable to stay locked onto Naruto for more than a few seconds at a time.

Naruto slumped down a bit. “To be honest, I don’t know how you’ve managed to _not_ be irritable all this time. Irritable is most people’s default setting around me.” Itachi’s mask of stoicism finally cracked as a corner of his mouth twitched up.

Itachi leaned over and confessed in a stage whisper, “Being an older brother has given me many chances to improve my patience.” Naruto barked out a short laugh.

“Somehow, I think there’s more to it than that.” Naruto said. “You’re just – special.”

“Special.” Itachi repeated dryly, both brows rose skeptically as Naruto grinned. Itachi suppressed a responding grin and pushed his bowl over to Naruto. “I’m not as hungry as I thought I’d be. I need to be going, as it is.”

“Oh, you’re leaving today?” Naruto asked. “I thought you’d be leaving tomorrow or something.” He frowned at the new bowl placed in front of him.

Itachi nodded as he swept his eyes over his companion’s face. “Naruto…” he trailed off, losing the words before he could pin them down. Naruto glanced back up, a question written on his face. “Never mind.” Itachi finished in resignation. He hopped down from the stool and brought an awkward hand up to Naruto’s shoulder as if he meant to rest it somewhere else. “I’ll be careful. Take care of Sasuke while I’m away.”

Naruto smiled uneasily. He’s heard similar lines before.

“I think I’ll let him run loose so you can deal with the aftermath when you get back.”

“Thanks.” Itachi deadpanned. “I suppose I’ll have to get back sooner than planned, in that case.”

“That’s the spirit!” Naruto cheered. The corners of Itachi’s mouth pulled up as he struggled not to roll his eyes. As he turned to leave, Naruto snatched his hand. “Uh.” He struggled to find the words he was looking for. “I’ll see you soon.” He finally said, immediately recognizing how lame he was.

Itachi adjusted their hands to an easier position, not bothering to cover his smile anymore. “I’ll see you soon, Naruto.” Itachi’s eyes carried a promise Naruto didn’t quite understand, but his unease was lifted from him as he grinned back.

 

* * *

 

“Aren’t you supposed to be supervising your genin team, Kakashi-san?” Itachi asked as he waited in the Hokage’s office for his mission details.

“I am.” Kakashi replied. “If you look closely enough, you can see them painting the fence down that alley from here.” He pointed in a vague direction.

Itachi looked. Surprisingly, he really could see the three genin. Upon closer examination, they appeared to have more paint on themselves than on the fence. He watched as who he thought was Sasuke dumped an entire can of paint on his teammate Sai.

Itachi turned around as the door to the Hokage’s office opened.

Orochimaru nodded at Itachi before raising a brow at Kakashi.

“I believe I only asked for one partner on this mission, _Kakashi-kun_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's a bit slow, but the next chapters should definitely be picking up the pace. Things are actually going to happen soon. Amazing, I know. I've fleshed out the story more, and 17 chapters is probably definitely where it's going to end. Unless I do something stupid.
> 
> Sorry to anyone who enjoys my horribly dumb comics or random art, was a bit too busy to sit down and draw anything this week.
> 
> Also, I confess to stealing a quote from the book Catch-22. Kudos to anyone who catches it. And if any of you are looking for a book to read, that's a great book to pick up if you don't mind absurd and ridiculous stories. Which I imagine you don't, since you're reading something I'm writing.
> 
> As always, thanks for all the comments and kudos! I'm surprised (but glad) so many people actually seem to be enjoying this.


	8. Saints and the Liars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone comes to the wrong conclusions.

There was something unsettling about Itachi being away from Konoha. He hadn’t even been gone very long, but Naruto was already feeling antsy. He stared at the two Sasuke’s staring back at him.

That might have something to do with it.

His hallucination of Sasuke seemed adamant to stay, although he didn’t feel the need to say much most of the time. He did, however, send his younger (and significantly more real) counterpart as many disdainful glances he possibly could while still attempting to appear apathetic.

Naruto couldn’t really fault Not-Sasuke for that, as the little Sasuke-brat seemed to be stuck to Naruto like gum on his shoe.

“Nii-san told me to watch you while he was on his mission. Clearly, he’s finally onto you. You’re not going to get away with stealing everything and running off to another village with all his money while I’m here. So don’t even try.” Sasuke explained.

Naruto might have been entertained if he didn’t need to be investigating things.

“Okay, yes. But what does that have to do with you sleeping in my bed?” Naruto asked as patiently as he could.

“Technically it’s my bed. You stole it. And it’s huge anyways, so it’s not like it’s _weird_.”

“It’s _really incredibly_ weird.” Naruto said. Sasuke glared.

“It doesn’t matter. I promised Nii-san I’d watch you and it would be impossible for you to get by me this way.”

“Ugh.” Naruto gave up.  “Don’t you have to go meet your team?”

Sasuke looked at the time. “The idiot sensei is always late anyways. And you’re coming too.”

Naruto felt a headache forming in the front of his skull. “I am?”

“You are.” Sasuke confirmed with a glower.

And so he did.

He knew he could slip away from the kid with ease, but he felt kind of bad. He supposed he could go along with it for the day and at some point swap out with a clone. Besides, Kakashi was as good a starting point to get some information on Orochimaru as any.

Upon reaching the familiar bridge Team 7 used as a meeting point, Naruto couldn’t suppress a fond smile as nostalgia swept through him.

“Good morning, Sasuke-kun!” Sakura cheerfully greeted. “And Naruto!” Naruto had somehow forgotten how cute she was, all bright colors and positive energy. He instinctively smiled brightly in return.

“Morning, Sakura-chan! Seeing your face this morning is like seeing the sunrise for the first time after years of darkness! Or to be more specific – a morning spent with Sasuke.” Sasuke punched him in the gut while muttering a half-hearted greeting. Naruto winced at the surprisingly sharp jab and put some distance between them. He spotted Sai sitting at the other end of the bridge, sketching something. “Morning, Sai!” He called out.

Sai blinked quickly before adopting his usual smile. “Good morning, S-”

“NARUTO.” Sasuke sharply interrupted before Sai could finish. “His name is NA-RU-TO. This is not debatable, Sai!”

Sai put on his most pleasant smile and said. “Understood. Good morning Na-Ru-To. And you too, Dickhead, of course.” Naruto grabbed onto the collar of Sasuke’s shirt before he could stab Sai with the kunai he pulled out. Sakura loomed over Sai threateningly and his smile lost its strength as a nervous air fell upon him. “Yes, Sakura-chan?”

“Why does she get called by her name?” Naruto asked as Sakura started scolding Sai.

“When we were still in the academy, we were doing something up on the mountain and Sakura threw him off of a cliff.” Sasuke said, sounding begrudgingly impressed. “He’s been terrified of her since. When we got assigned into teams – his face –“ Sasuke poorly covered his laughter.

Naruto squinted and leaned towards Sasuke. “Sasuke – you’re actually kind of cute when you laugh. Even though it’s an incredibly sadistic laugh.” Sasuke’s face immediately shut down.

“I am _not_ cute.” He insisted. Naruto grinned and ruffled his hair, ignoring the squawk of protest.

“So, Naruto,” Sakura started once she properly traumatized Sai. “Why are you here, anyways? Did Kakashi-sensei get fired because he doesn’t teach us anything?”

“I’m pretty sure he hasn’t been fired.” Naruto said.

“Oh.” Sakura said, looking a bit disappointed. “So you’re not our new teacher?”

“Sakura,” Sasuke said pointedly, “Naruto’s not even a shinobi.”

“Well, I _am_ technically. I just don’t belong to a village.” Naruto corrected. 

Sakura frowned. “Why aren’t you a Konoha shinobi? You live here, right?” Both Sakura and Sasuke looked at him. Sai was still huddled on the other side of the bridge, occasionally sending fearful looks at Sakura.

“Uh.” Naruto said. He scratched his head and shrugged. “I think I’d like to be eventually?” He sort-of answered. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Sakura looked like she still had questions, but decided to change topics. “How’s Itachi-san doing?” She asked with a smile. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion.

“Itachi? Well, he’s on a mission right now.” Naruto answered, a little confused about the shift in conversation.

“Oh, that must be hard on you.” She said sympathetically. “You probably miss him a lot, right?” Sasuke started bristling, his eyes narrowed to slits.

“Yeah, it hasn’t even been a full day yet, but it’s weird knowing he’s not in the village.” Naruto admitted. “I guess I’ve gotten too used to him being around.”

Sakura nodded in understanding. “When I’m engaged or married, I don’t know how I’d handle it either.” She snuck a coy glance at Sasuke.

Sasuke was in full on bristle mode now. He’d put an angry cat to shame, Naruto couldn’t help but think.

“ _Sakura,_ NO.” Sasuke said, jumping slightly to emphasize his words. “They’re not engaged, I already told you that! They just think it’s funny to annoy me!” Sakura looked at Naruto for confirmation.

“He’s right. Annoying Sasuke is one of my favorite things.”

Sakura walked over to Naruto with an eager yet motivational look and grabbed his hands in her own. Encouragingly, she said, “It’s okay. Itachi-san’s just very shy. Give him some time and I’m sure he’ll come around.”

“Uh,” Naruto said, pretty sure he missed something. Sasuke muttered angrily to himself as he stalked over to sit on the railing of the bridge.

“So how’d the two of you meet?” Sakura asked.

“Who? Me and Itachi? I almost died and he saved my life.”

“That’s _so_ romantic.” Sakura swooned. Naruto raised an eyebrow. “Then after that you moved in with him?”

“Yeah. It was that or stay at the hospital and watch TV all day. The TV in my room only had one channel that worked and it was always tuned into The Price is Right. And I was never right.” Naruto sighed. He went over and sat down against the railing by Sasuke. Sakura tagged along and sat down facing him. 

“What drew the two of you together?” She asked. “Was it like – love at first sight?” She gazed dreamily out past the river.

“Uh.” Naruto said, finally realizing Sakura still thought they were dating. “He visited me at the hospital and taught me to play Go?” He answered, unsure of how to tell her they weren’t together.

“Sakura, stop talking to him. He’s just here so I can make sure he doesn’t steal my stuff.”

“Sasuke-kun, you should be nicer to Naruto! He could be your future brother-in-law.” Sakura admonished, placing her hands on her hips. Naruto choked on air while Sasuke almost fell off the railing. “You’d take the Uchiha name, right Naruto? Uchiha Naruto, that doesn’t sound too bad.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Sakura-chan!” Naruto started protesting. Sasuke nodded and looked properly cross. “If we got married, we’d definitely keep Uzumaki as the name! I think I might be the last one out there! I can’t give up my name!” Naruto insisted. Sasuke’s brain must have shut down at that point, because he went slack jaw, a faint look of fear staining his face.

“But Itachi-san is going to be the head of the Uchiha Clan! He can’t change his name!” She argued back.

Naruto put on a thoughtful expression and sighed sadly. “I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”

“What? No, I didn’t mean anything like _that_!”

Naruto shook his head, the very picture of brokenhearted.

Sakura stared back in shock and whispered, “What have I done?”

Sasuke broke from free from his trance and kicked Naruto upside the head from where he was sitting. “Sakura, he’s still just messing with you! They’re not even dating!” He shouted, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself. “Naruto, if you’re going to talk the whole time, teach us something instead of being an idiot!” Naruto winked and grinned at Sakura, which seemed to calm her nerves a little bit.

“Do you guys know how to walk on water yet?” Naruto asked. They both shook their heads. “Great! I can teach you guys that!” He reached up and pushed Sasuke off the railing into the river below. Sakura watched it happen with her face full of detached horror.

“NARUTO!” Sasuke shouted after the telltale sound of a splash.

Sai walked over to them and looked over the railing. “I think that means you failed, Dickhead.”

“ARGH.”

“I bet Sakura-chan can do it on her first try!” Naruto called down.

An hour later when Kakashi finally arrived, it was to see a completely dry Sakura trying to instruct the nearly drowned Sasuke and Sai on how to focus their chakra correctly into their feet.

“What have you done?” Kakashi asked Naruto, terrified that _actual_ teaching might have occurred.

“I pushed Sasuke into the river.” He answered. They stood on top of the bridge and looked down at the genin in quiet camaraderie.

“I’ve always wanted to do that.” Kakashi admitted.

Naruto patted his back. “There’s always time.”

“What are you doing here, anyways?”

“Apparently Itachi thought it would be funny to give Sasuke a ‘Watch Naruto’ mission before he left.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah.”

“Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura shouted when she noticed him. She was standing steadily on top of the slow-moving water, beaming brightly up at them.

Kakashi smiled at her. “Very impressive, Sakura-chan. I thought I’d start you three off with walking up trees, but I suppose you’re miles ahead of your peers when it comes to chakra control.”

Naruto felt a swell of pride for his former team. They were more than a bit dysfunctional, but it was moments like this that reminded Naruto that they loved each other in their own special way. Sakura was blushing, for once of something unrelated to a boy. He hoped she would get over her fangirling ways sooner than she did before.

“Now Sasuke-kun, Sai-kun – the two of you should practice on trees instead and move onto water afterwards. Whoever gets to the top of a tree first gets to sit out on finding Madam Shijimi’s cat with Sakura-chan and myself.”

“What? You mean we’d have to find that stupid cat by ourselves if we lost?” Sasuke asked.

“That is correct, Sasuke-kun. May the best win.” Kakashi waved down at them. There was a moment of tense silence as Sasuke and Sai stared at each other.

Looking back up at Kakashi, Sai said, “I had a bad feeling when you said ‘May the best win,’ because that sounds an awful lot like not me.”

“I believe in you, Sai! Show Sasuke what you’re made of!” Naruto cheered.

“I’m really not made of very much.” Sai replied.

“I’m going to win this stupid contest, _Sai_.” Sasuke said menacingly as he waded out of the river.

“Yeah, that’s fine. It’s all just for fun, right? I don’t mind losing this thing.” Sai said. “Although, if I do – I will have to stab you.” He looked everyone dead in the eye. “ _All_ of you.” Sakura hastily stepped away.

“That’s the spirit!” Naruto continued encouraging.

Sakura joined the older shinobi on the bridge, trying and failing to suppress the silly grin on her face. Kakashi ruffled her hair.

“You did great, Sakura-chan!” Naruto said.

“Thanks.” Sakura beamed up at Naruto, but then looked shyly at the wood beneath their feet. “But I feel a little bad, Sasuke-kun is having a really hard time when it seemed so easy to me.”

Naruto hummed to himself and asked, “Do you want to know a secret?” Sakura looked at him with curious green eyes. Naruto crouched down beside her and whispered, “Sasuke will kill me for telling you this but – he told me before he has a thing for _really strong_ girls. So keep up the good work!” He patted Sakura’s head as she dazedly stared in Sasuke’s direction and slowly walked off.

Kakashi glimpsed at Naruto from over his book. “Is it really a good idea to motivate her by using Sasuke-kun?”

Naruto leaned forward on the railing and looked out at the lazy river. “When you were their age, what motivated you to get stronger?” He grinned as he saw Sasuke try to sabotage Sai’s progress. Kakashi remained silent. “It was to prove something to someone, wasn’t it? That’s how most people start out. We all want to prove ourselves to someone. That helps us get stronger, but it’s only through experience that we learn the real reasons we need to become strong. So if Sakura-chan needs Sasuke as an excuse to become stronger for now – that’s fine. Eventually, she’ll find who she really is. She just needs a shove in the right direction. Also, twelve year olds are dumb as shit.”

Kakashi sighed and snapped his book shut. “Sometimes I can’t decide if you’re mildly intelligent or a complete idiot, Naruto-kun.” Naruto stuck his tongue out at him. “That’s really not helping your case.”

“Whatever. So how are you doing with training them?”

“Icha Icha Paradise is wonderful, thank you for asking.”

 

* * *

 

 The pristine blue of the sky had never before been so unwelcoming. The pathway to the heavens appeared to shrink before him as colossus heaps of what was once a building stacked up against the horizon. With every step the blue seemed to become darker and more distant, gray and hostile.

Itachi thought of a blue richer than the sky itself and wished he was at home soaking in the attention of the only eyes in the world that could claim such a color.

The wind whipped around him, his own hair blinding him as it assaulted his face. He glanced to the side where his partner for the mission appeared entirely unaffected by the sudden gusts of wind, not a single hair out of place. Itachi wasn’t one to be envious, but as his hair ended up in his mouth for the third time in thirty seconds, he figured now was as good a time as any to be.

“There should be an entrance around there.” Orochimaru stated, pointing a long finger at a very specific column. “This was a facility Danzo operated many years ago in the pursuit of scientific advancement. Or perhaps, rather I should say – self-advancement.”  Orochimaru smiled self-depreciatively at Itachi before turning around and heading towards the column. “Truly – humans. The only creatures who refuse to be what they are.”

Wordlessly, Itachi walked over to the column searching for an indication of an entrance of any kind.

“I worked here for a time. Before I established the Research Institute in Konoha, there were no guidelines on proper scientific practice. Needless to say, unethical methods were the quickest way to obtain results. And neither Danzo nor myself were above taking advantage of what we could. As long as we did our work quietly and nobody important disappeared – we were free to do as we wish.” Orochimaru pulled something out of the rubble, prompting the very ground beneath their feet to quake. They both took a few hazardous steps back.

Itachi eyed the man beside him. “What changed?” He succinctly asked. Orochimaru turned yellow eyes on Itachi and stared unblinkingly.

“I did.” He answered shortly, snapping his eyes away and taking the first steps down into the rubble that might have been stairs, once upon a time. “There was an accident – Not the one that forced this building into this state – something far worse. Personal, although not necessarily personal to myself. But it forced me to look further into my own psyche than I’d ever bothered before.”

They entered a large chamber. White lights flickered on, somehow not damaged in the destruction around them, and brought life to the cold slabs of stone with an even colder, sterile luminescence. Itachi could practically smell the disinfectant and disease that must have touched these walls over years long past.

“I was a petty child.” Orochimaru continued, despite the lack of prompting Itachi offered. “Small and reviled by my peers. Strange, odd, _twisted_. I was all of those things. My peers ensured that I was aware of that fact. It took an exceedingly long time for me to gain their respect. But one day – One day I experienced being _feared_. It was _exhilarating_. I stood there with that small taste of power and thought to myself, ‘ _This is who I am’_.”

Itachi halted in his tracks.

Orochimaru continued walking to the center of the large room. He turned around just enough to see Itachi.

“I don’t understand.” Itachi said.

Orochimaru turned his head away and looked up. The dust motes swarmed around him, thrilled at being awoken after years of darkness.

“No, I suppose you wouldn’t. Being a good person comes naturally to you, Itachi-kun.” He turned around to face Itachi entirely, the dust blurring his features. “Others of us have to make an effort.”

Itachi allowed his face to twist into a frown as he attempted to make sense of Orochimaru.

“After examining myself and the things I had done, it took the words of a fool to truly allow me to understand.” Orochimaru continued.

“Understand what?”

“What I was chasing and what I wanted – what I _needed_ – were not one and the same.”

Itachi allowed the hush of the dead building encasing them respond in his stead.

“It was something simple and stupid that got through to me. Completely typical of Jiraiya. He does not and will never know the effect his truly meaningless words had on me. He was complaining, as usual, of how all the hard work he’d spent mastering a particularly tricky seal didn’t feel as great as he thought it would. He said, ‘ _I spent years mastering that damned thing and when I was finally done – Well, let’s just say I’m enjoying this ice cream more. I thought it’d feel incredible, but really it was just predictable. Of course I was going to master it, I never had any doubts. But now, all I can think of is that I could have spent all that extra time bothering you or winning Tsunade’s heart’.“_

Orochimaru scuffed his sandal against the broken ground. “Simple and foolish. ‘ _The joy of it all, however, is fleeting.’_ Indeed.”

One white light, unable to handle it’s resurrection, fizzled out and died; gripped too tightly by the unrelenting darkness it spent years shielded within.

“But it allowed me to see what I was doing to myself. My own ambitions would turn against me in the end. Reaching goal after goal would serve me no true purpose. It would satisfy a part of me – but I needed more. I needed an end.”

“An end to what?” Itachi asked, despite himself. Orochimaru shook his head and allowed himself one more look up. Itachi followed his line of sight and saw nothing.

“The past is a slippery thing, I’m afraid.”

“Why did you request for me to accompany you?”

Orochimaru left his stage in the center of the room, walking aimlessly, yet seeming to move around objects and fixtures that must have existed years ago – now mere memories pretending to exist.

“All of this occurred twelve years ago. My epiphany – as well as the state of this building. Not entirely unrelated – although probably not for the reasons you’re assuming. Do you know what else happened twelve years ago?”

Itachi remained still, the dust settling around him as if he’d been a part of his surroundings since their very origins.

Orochimaru continued, “Twelve years ago, a girl died.”

“Uzumaki Kushina.” Itachi determined. The yellow of Orochimaru’s eyes glinted back at Itachi, not quite human.

“Yes, her as well. But she is not the girl I’m speaking of. Kushina, however, was important. _Very_ important. Perhaps the catalyst to everything that is happening now.”

“You’re referring to Danzo?”

“I’m referring to many things, Danzo being one of them.” Orochimaru answered sharply. “I should have seen it sooner, but when you spend time amongst fools you risk becoming one yourself.” Orochimaru walked back to Itachi, keeping their eyes locked. “And now, Danzo is dead and another Uzumaki has made Konoha his home.

Itachi steeled his gaze as he stared back at Orochimaru. “Naruto has nothing to do with any of this.”

Orochimaru spoke smoothly, no hitch in his voice, “Strange, isn’t it – the coincidence of him learning he was a Jinchurinki when he was twelve years old. How old is he now? Twenty-four, correct?”

Itachi kept cold eyes trained on Orochimaru. “Coincidences are merely that, Orochimaru-san.”

“No, Itachi-kun. There is no such thing as coincidence. Twelve years ago – everything began.”

 

* * *

 

 It was the following day when Naruto decided enough was enough. He’d indulged Sasuke long enough, he needed to find answers.

Sasuke sulked over breakfast (instant ramen, seeing as neither of them could cook), disappointed in himself that Sai managed to get to the top of a tree faster than him. The shadows hung under his eyes, evidence of the previous day’s and ensuing night’s efforts to master his chakra.

Naruto was a little proud of him, but mostly smug that someone finally managed to dent his ego.  Sasuke stabbed the ramen, very likely imagining it was Sai’s face.

“Hey, Sasuke, I think I’m going to run to the grocery store today. Is there anything you want me to pick up?”

Sasuke’s eyes dragged up; his pallid skin, dark hair, bloodshot eyes, and hunched frame making him the poster child of a horror movie. Naruto suppressed a shiver.

For someone who had _real_ ghosts, thinking about the evil ghosts from cheesy horror movies somehow never failed to strike fear into his heart. He ignored the ghost flickering in and out of visibility from the corner of his eye.

“ _You_ – are not going _anywhere_. Naruto.” Sasuke grit out, eyes narrowed into slits.

Naruto sighed.

 

* * *

 

 “Tell me, Itachi-kun. What do you know about Uzumaki Naruto?” Orochimaru waited for an answer, brows raised and a mocking smile in place. Itachi didn’t rise to the bait. “Just about nothing, correct? I’ve listened to Minato’s and Tsunade’s reports on him. Minato has his suspicions, but has been willing to overlook them in favor of spending time with the reminder of his late wife. Tsunade is too soft-hearted to find fault in a man who claims to have lost everything.”

“Are you implying he’s lying about what he’s been through?” Itachi blandly questioned with only the slightest tilt of his head. Orochimaru’s head tilted in parody of him as he kept intelligent and calculating eyes locked onto Itachi’s. Itachi knew the look on his face; that small flash of greed, the itch for power storming behind yellow irises. Itachi’s own eyes held incredible power, and over the years there have been those who wanted to take that power for themselves.

Orochimaru’s suppressed desires appeared to be no different.

“As for what he’s been through, I cannot say.” Orochimaru conceded. “But, my point is – neither can you.”

A fleck of annoyance shoved its way through to Itachi’s face. “He hasn’t been lying to us.”

Orochimaru pulled his eyes away from Itachi and looked once more towards the center of the room, scanning it for something long gone.

“Maybe not. But he hasn’t told anyone the truth yet, either.”

“We’re speaking in circles – there’s no point to this.” Itachi said. “What is it exactly, that you’re trying to say?”

“You’ve become close to him, haven’t you?” Orochimaru digressed. “Tell me, _what do you know about him_?”

“Why are we here, Orochimaru-san?” Itachi asked again.

Orochimaru sighed dramatically in a way that Itachi couldn’t help but think he picked up from Jiraiya.

“I merely wanted to confirm something. I figured I could kill two birds with one stone by bringing you along – Tell me, what does your friend get up to when you’re away?”

“That’s enough. If you’ve confirmed whatever it is you came here for, we are leaving.”

 

* * *

 

 Naruto once again accompanied Sasuke to Team 7’s meeting place. Sakura had forced Sai to spar with her, although Naruto was pretty sure Sai was just fleeing in terror while Sakura tried to catch up with and knock him into the dirt. Sasuke was busy glaring daggers at everything and anything that dared to move within five meters of him. Naruto shared a look of commiseration with Kakashi when he finally arrived.

“Hmm, Sasuke-kun. You know what happens today. Tora is missing again – we’re counting on you to save the poor thing.” Kakashi said. Sasuke twitched violently.

“Naruto – you’re helping me.” Sasuke stated as a matter of fact.

“Why should I?”

“Kiba’s dog Akamaru helps _him_ all the time, I don’t see how this is any different.”

“… did you just compare me to a dog?”

 

* * *

 

 “Yes, there is nothing here anymore. That is all that I needed to know. However, I do hope that you’ve learned something today.” Orochimaru said as he followed Itachi out of the ruins.

“I’ve learned that you enjoy wasting my time.” Itachi said stiffly, walking briskly up through the rubble.

“On the contrary, Itachi-kun, I’ve told you many things that should help you piece together what’s happening. The only question is whether or not you’re willing to see it.”

 

* * *

 

 “The damned cat is coming your way, Naruto. _Hide before it sees you._ ”

“Right. Okay, yes. I’ll hide behind that tree.”

“ _Naruto, that’s where we set up the trap, you_ MORON!”

 

* * *

 

 “The only thing I see is you attributing blame somewhere it has no place being. Naruto is a good person. I’m uncertain how you could even conceive that he is somehow responsible for anything that has happened – he was with Sasuke and myself when Danzo was murdered and with Kakashi-san after that, as the official reports make very clear.”

“Good men are the most dangerous of us all. And it is hardly impossible to be in two places at once, Itachi-kun. Regardless, even if he wasn’t the one to put an end to Danzo – he knows something. In fact, I would say he knows too much.”

Itachi halted his ascension out of the hollowed out hole in the ground and took a deep breath. He immaturely debated the merits of pushing Orochimaru down the dilapidated stairs.

“And how do you come to that conclusion?” Itachi asked evenly.

“He is very comfortable in his surroundings, isn’t he? Most people who enter a room occupied by some of the most well-known and powerful ninja in the country show some level of surprise or discomfort – or even respect. He seemed suspicious of us, but not particularly cowed. His eyes told me he understood us on a level beyond our comprehension.”

“How someone handles themselves in a room isn’t a proper means for accusation.”

“I attest to the contrary. How someone handles themselves in a room has the possibility of telling you _everything_ you need to know about a person. And your friend – he is not the simple tragic man he claims to be. No, his eyes are – very interesting, don’t you think? Familiar, almost.”

Itachi’s chilling glare only served to amuse Orochimaru.

“What I have learned from this excursion is that you seem to have information that might be relevant to Danzo. If there is anything that might help us determine his killer, I suggest you speak to Yondaime-sama.” Itachi tersely informed Orochimaru before continuing his ascent. The trip back to Konoha wouldn’t take very long if they kept a brisk pace and didn’t stop for rest. Itachi had no intention of wasting more time if Orochimaru wasn’t going to tell him anything useful.

Orochimaru’s grin vanished once Itachi turned his back. “We’re hunting ghosts.” He whispered to himself, barely audible.

 

* * *

 

 Sasuke slumped against a tree, straining himself to stay awake. Sakura and Sai were sparring properly at this point, to the surprise of both Kakashi and Naruto.

“Sasuke-kun is actually pretty good at stealth, isn’t he? Once he got rid of you, he got the cat without any problems.” Kakashi said.

Naruto grinned. “Yeah. You know, Itachi bought a TV the other week. Sasuke managed to steal it _while_ we were watching it. We never found it.”

Kakashi looked impressed. “Were you actually watching it, though?”

Naruto furrowed his brow. “What else would we be doing?”

“Hmm, well, when two friendly people sitting on a couch get bored –” Sasuke was suddenly wide awake and pelting Kakashi with kunai. “It’s rude to interrupt people when they’re talking, Sasuke-kun.”

“Then maybe you should _stop_ talking.”

“Rude.” Kakashi said, returning his attention to his book. “Sasuke, go train with Sakura and Sai. They’re probably as tired as you are by now. Go play some extreme hide and seek or something – you’d have the advantage there.” A cruel glint lit Sasuke’s eyes as he stalked over to his teammates. Naruto stared at him as his attention was successfully diverted.

“I think I’ve been forgotten.” Naruto said.

“You’re welcome.”

“You have interesting methods for teaching.”

“I like to consider myself _innovative._ ” Kakashi said. Naruto snickered. “Are you going to run off into the wild now that Sasuke-kun has forgotten about his mission?”

“Eh, maybe in a bit. I wanted to ask you something, actually.”

“If it’s for a date, I apologize, but you’re not my type. I prefer brunettes.”

Naruto wrinkled his nose. “What? Ew, gross, Kakashi. No, I was just wondering about Orochimaru.”  

“Ah, so you’re interested in older men? Itachi-kun will be disappointed.” Kakashi said monotonously. Naruto snatched the orange book from out of his hands and hit Kakashi upside the head with it.  

“Stop being a pervert for a minute, jeez.” Naruto chastised. He looked at the page Kakashi had been reading. “You’re not even at the good part of the story.”

“Ah, yes. The story. That’s why I’m reading it.” Kakashi grabbed his book back. “But it’s a pleasant surprise to know you’re an Icha Icha fan as well, Naruto-kun. Did you know that Jiraiya-san is the author?”

“Hm? Yeah, I know.” Naruto said. Kakashi eyed him speculatively. “But anyways, seriously. Orochimaru’s kind of creepy, right? I’m not the only one who sees that, am I?”

Kakashi seemed to think to himself for a moment before answering. “Orochimaru-san is very difficult to get used to, yes. But he has done a lot of good for Konoha. Ten years ago he founded the Konoha Research Institute, which has several divisions for many branches of study including medicine, which Tsunade-san operates. Orochimaru-san himself runs and oversees the genetic engineering programs. The two of them often work together – over the past decade they have overcome milestone after milestone of progress in regards to disease or injury. Konoha has become the go-to place for ailments of any kind and our mednin are undoubtedly the best out there.”

Naruto bit his lip as a line of worry creased his face.

“In fact,” Kakashi continued, “I’m willing to bet that if you’d have turned up anywhere other than Konoha when you were injured – you more than likely wouldn’t have turned out alive.”

Naruto pressed a hand to his eyes and sighed. “Good to know.” He muttered.

“Why the interest in Orochimaru-san?” Kakashi asked, not bothering with false pretenses.

Naruto shrugged as a fleeting look of anger crossed his face. “He just reminded me of someone I used to know a long time ago. He did some things I can’t really forgive.” A sheepish grin bloomed on Naruto’s face. “I guess I’m just a little paranoid.” Kakashi’s eye lingered on Naruto’s face before absently returning to his book.

“There’s nothing wrong with a little paranoia. Just be careful with where you aim it.”

“Yeah. You’re right. I guess I better escape before Sasuke remembers me. I could use some exercise that doesn’t involve chasing cats.”

“Have fun, Naruto-kun.” Kakashi said, his attention already shifted back to his book.

Naruto headed off further into the training grounds until he knew there wasn’t a chance that Kakashi could sense him anymore. He quickly checked to make sure he was truly alone before turning sharply and heading back into the city, masking his chakra just in case.

“Naruto, if you’re going to attempt stealth, you might want to do it correctly.” Not-Sasuke said, suddenly by his side. “Leave a clone out here and henge yourself.”

“Oops.” Naruto said, following the advice. “Are you actually being helpful?”

Sasuke gave him a dry look. “Because you listen to me so often.”

Naruto was about to retort, but as he fully turned to look at Sasuke his throat clamped up. Sasuke stood proud and tall beside him, his face as serious as ever, and his eyes relaxed in a way Naruto knew Sasuke never did around anyone else. He dropped his eyes to the ground.

“Now isn’t the time, Naruto. You need to focus.”

“I know – it’s just – I’m sorry. None of this should have happened.”

Sasuke closed his eyes and took a long breath of nothing with his nonexistent lungs. Naruto’s chest ached and he didn’t trust himself to speak.

“The Research Institute is likely connected to the hospital, so heading over there is probably your best bet. From there you should be able to find Orochimaru’s office, workstation – something. He’s arrogant, so it’s unlikely he’d put too much effort into hiding anything incriminating. Just act like you’re supposed to be there and no one will think anything about your presence. I’m sure even you can manage it – unless being in that cave for two years ruined what was left of your sad excuse of a brain.”

Naruto didn’t say anything, having entered a street with other people, but he couldn’t stop the sad smile that curved his mouth. Sasuke was right, of course. The Research Institute was an adjunct building to the hospital – tall, gray, and modern – clashing terribly with the humble architecture surrounding it. He had no idea how he hadn’t seen it before. It didn’t seem to have restricted access so he put on a polite smile and walked right in through the front door.

Sasuke walked ahead, his skin unnaturally pale against the stark white of the place, appearing almost ethereal as no shadow followed behind him. He jerked his head in a direction Naruto then noticed was labeled to lead to a myriad of things including the Department of Genetic Engineering.  The few people who were walking the halls were too busy flipping through notes or chatting to a partner to heed Naruto’s presence.

After a few flights of stairs and a few wrong turns – they found Orochimaru’s office, thankfully labeled so simply that even Naruto couldn’t be confused:

OROCHIMARU

DEPT. GENETIC ENGINEERING

“This is too easy.” Naruto mumbled to himself as he tried the door. It was locked. Sometimes Naruto wondered why anyone bothered locking doors in a village full of ninja.

“Use one of your seals to pass the door. If he bothered to lock it, there might be something set up on the door.” Sasuke instructed. Naruto frowned, not wanting to waste a seal on travelling one meter, but pulled out one from the stash he’d been keeping on his person since Danzo’s death.

“You sure you can’t just – Kamui us through? These things take a long time to draw up, you know.” Naruto quietly whined. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

And then Naruto was in the room. He eyed the door he _should_ have just opened, seeing as it was a run of the mill innocuous door. He grumbled at the waste and examined the area.

“Really, Sasuke, I can’t just blink up a new seal. I don’t have fancy eyes that let me walk through doors by staring at it. That seal in particular is a meticulous pain in the ass.”

“Shut up, moron.” Sasuke said, glancing over the top of Orochimaru’s desk. “I’ve seen you make one of them in a minute flat, so stop wailing.” He eyed another door in the corner of the office. “Go in there.”

“I haven’t even checked this room out yet.”

“There’s nothing in here. Use another seal to get through.”

Naruto went over and opened the door, raising a brow. “You were saying..?”

Sasuke’s unimpressed look followed him through the door.

“Well, fuck.” Naruto said as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. It was a spacious operating room, and while Naruto could imagine what it usually looked like, it was currently littered with surgical tools and equipment.

But more importantly was the blood. The body too, Naruto especially thought, probably wasn’t _usually_ there. He turned on the lights and approached the body and stilled as the shock rolled through him. He brought a hand to his mouth.

“Kabuto…”

His eyes darted throughout the room, trying to understand what happened. Kabuto was wearing a white outfit Naruto had seen a dozen of others in the building wear – practical and suited for laboratory work. Naruto imagined he usually didn’t wear the deep surgical lines cut through his jugular or down his wrists.

“This – this isn’t Orochimaru’s style.” Naruto quietly said.

“No, it’s not.” Sasuke confirmed from his side. “While he’s not incapable of this, the fact alone that it’s _Kabuto_ makes me doubt he had anything to do with this. Maybe we’re not familiar with this universe, but Kabuto was loyal to Orochimaru and while he wouldn’t have been above killing Kabuto if he _needed_ to, he still had a soft spot for him.”

Naruto crouched down by Kabuto, angling for a better look without disturbing the body or the blood pooled around him. The round glasses he always wore had been knocked askew several feet away from him underneath the operating table in the middle of the room.  His skin looked almost purple compared to his ash-grey hair, and eyes that should have been black were clouded over.

“It’s been a few hours.” Naruto mumbled. “Ironic that he seems to have been killed by his favorite weapon: the chakra scalpel.”

“Whoever killed Danzo was proficient in medical ninjutsu as well.” Sasuke reminded.

“They were killed by the same person?” Naruto wondered. “Why Kabuto? He’s just a lackey.”

“This is Orochimaru’s workstation – whoever it was probably expected Orochimaru to be here and got Kabuto instead.”

“Shit.” Naruto muttered. He was definitely not Kabuto’s biggest fan, especially after his little crusade with the modified edo tensei that exceeded even his _own_ expectations. But to be killed simply because Orochimaru wasn’t around – Naruto thought Kabuto’s entire life might have been a cruel cosmic joke in _both_ universes.

“Save your pity, this guy didn’t deserve any even when he was alive.” Sasuke said.

Naruto closed his eyes. “I don’t know, Sasuke. Despite the things he did, he was just as lost and empty on the inside as any of us. Do you remember his last words?” Even Sasuke couldn’t hide his brief desolate expression as he closed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

“He deserved what happened to him.” Sasuke somberly insisted. Naruto shook his head, letting the topic go.

“I don’t understand what’s happening. I _really_ hate it when I don’t understand what’s happening.” Naruto stood back up, his hand holding his chin as he continued examining the scene. “Why didn’t he heal himself? Why did he just let himself bleed out? Clean wounds like these are the easiest to heal.”

“Maybe he couldn’t.” Sasuke _helpfully_ added. “When you were attacked at the caves you couldn’t heal yourself because of the shock and your lack of sleep.” Naruto cringed and crossed his arms as the fleeting memories lit fires across his mind and vision. Sasuke immediately appeared regretful as he realized the effect of what he said.

“Somehow I doubt Kabuto was too tired to heal himself over the course of the _several_ minutes it took for him to bleed out completely.”

“Paralysis, then.”

Sasuke vanished as three senbon silently struck Naruto’s back, simultaneously dispelling his henge and allowing him to come to the realization of _poison_. Kabuto was poisoned, that’s why he couldn’t heal himself.

Unfortunately, the realization only came to him as he recognized that he himself was poisoned.

Before he could even react to his attack, bouts of kunai were hurled at him with deadly accuracy. He caught the projectiles before they reached him, instinctively hurling them back from where they were thrown.

“Fascinating. It appears you have quite the resistance to that poison. Very curious, considering it’s a particularly vicious one created accidentally by Tsunade herself a few years back.” Orochimaru’s voice filled the room, filling Naruto’s veins with ice.

The man’s face was more alive than Naruto had ever seen it before – genuine rage lit serpentine eyes as he avidly scrutinized Naruto.

“I had a few friends who insisted on immunizing me to just about every poison _ever_ over the years. It was like a cruel hobby for them.” Naruto ground out, ignoring the sweat that ran down his rapidly paling face. He wasn’t _quite_ so immune to whatever was currently tearing across his bloodstream. He didn’t want to imagine what the full effects must have been like. The edges of his vision clouded, leaving him unable to see anything properly but Orochimaru.

“What is she promising you?” Orochimaru asked. Naruto didn’t respond, uncertain he heard him correctly. “The resurrection of a loved one, perhaps? Or maybe you feel a misplaced sense of loyalty towards her, enough to fabricate this sham of a tragedy you’ve wrapped yourself in. I’m afraid to disappoint you further, but you won’t find the eyes here. Undoubtedly, you’ve already found out Kabuto was not in possession of them.”

“Unless – unless I decided to sit around in this room for a few hours, I’m _undoubtedly_ not the one who did this.” Naruto said as he wavered on his feet slightly. “He was killed _hours_ ago. Who are you even talking about? What _eyes_?” _The Rinnegan_ , Naruto thought to himself. What other eyes would warrant this urgency?

Orochimaru quieted at this, allowing his eyes to flicker over to Kabuto’s cooling body on the floor to discern for himself how long ago Kabuto was killed.

“Stay still, Naruto-kun. The poison will only act faster if you try to move.” Orochimaru said as he did _something_ Naruto couldn’t see. He gripped the edge of the counter to keep himself upright, spilling surgical tools on the floor as the double vision forced him to miscalculate his reach.

“The- the Rinnegan.” Naruto spat out. Orochimaru froze from where he’d been cautiously approaching him. “You have them, don’t you? You have to – _have to_ destroy them. Do you understand that? You have _no idea_ what they do. If someone is after them -” Naruto shut his useless eyes as pain sparked through his occipital lobes.

“Orochimaru, what’s –” a familiar voice halted mid-sentence.

Screams pierced the air, sharper than any blade Naruto had ever been cut with.

“Yondaime-sama. He was in here under a henge by my assistant’s body when I entered.”

The smell of ink and mold, damp and familiar, filled his nostrils. The counter felt like paper beneath his grip.

“…What’s wrong with him?”

A hand caressed his face, warm and fleeting, accompanied by a small smile.

“A poison. It won’t kill him, but he won’t be coherent for some time. The poison has various effects, but most interestingly is the effect that overstimulates the hippocampus. In other words, he is currently experiencing an influx of uncontrollable memories.

Red eyes and an equally red grin being stolen away from him. Sand in the wind. Words he can’t remember spoken directly into his mind. Sieved away to nothing.

“Yakushi Kabuto. He’s been dead for at least four hours.”

A smug grin followed by a flash of annoyance. A hand ruffling his hair.

“Yes, despite my initial assumptions, it is unlikely Naruto-kun was responsible for his death. However, I am certain he knows more about the current situation than he’d have us believe.”

Black eyes locked onto his own. A promise Naruto was only beginning to understand.

“Yondaime-sama. What-” A pause. “Naruto?”

Lines and lines and lines and lines and lines and _so many lines_.

“ _Itachi._ ” Naruto ground out, his hand crushing the delicate paper in his grip.

A hand grabbed his shoulder while another plunged through his chest.

“What happened?”

Blood and dirt. So familiar he could no longer smell it.

“The friend you claim to know so well was poking his nose in places he doesn’t belong.”

The steady drip of water into water. An empty sewer.

_You need to leave._

“What did you do to him?”

Sakura humming a cheerful song as she soaked in the sunlight streaming down through the trees, her pink hair spread out on the grass.

_You can’t afford to waste time answering their questions anymore, Naruto. Someone is after the Rinnegan._

“Poison. He’ll be fine.”

His knees gave out and an arm around his waist held him up. His face dug into a bony shoulder.  Silence.

_If Orochimaru has the Rinnegan –_

“You – you – you have the Rinnegan. _Orochimaru._ I won’t let you –” His muffled voice stuttered drunkenly. The arm tightened possessively around his waist.

 _Snakes_.

“What is he talking about? Orochimaru?” Silence. “ _Orochimaru._ ”

Paper. Lines on paper.

_In your pocket._

“I am _asking_ you a question, Orochimaru.”

Naruto shoved himself away from the body holding him up, stumbling backwards as he pulled out a piece of paper.

 _Run_.

“Naruto – _don’t –”_

Lines on paper.

_Run away._

  __

 

Fanart by Cerulean-Wake at DeviantArt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some awesome fanart by Cerulean-Wake! (http://cerulean-wake.deviantart.com/art/Hush-Naruto-Fanfic-Fanart-545074293?ga_submit_new=10%253A1436409492) Her characters are perfect, seriously. Check out her primary DeviantArt page here: http://cerulean-wake.deviantart.com/ She's got some awesome skills. I need to make a DevArt account to follow her. I think I might have one that I forgot about. Maybe. But really, I smiled to myself forever about getting fanart. You guys should all just send me fanart so I can be lazy with drawing stuff forever. (Wishful thinking, I know.)
> 
> Also, my dumb comic made a return this week! The idea was inspired (stolen) by the webcomic A Softer World, which is a great read if anyone has some time to kill. The specific comic I was inspired by (stole the crap out of) is http://asofterworld.com/index.php?id=429 
> 
> Was originally going to draw Naruto and Itachi, but I figured I make poor Itachi OOC enough as it is, and this is something Sai would actually say in canon. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Lots of drama, but that's typical with Orochimaru. For those of you who have been (very) patiently waiting for some actual ItaNaru, fear not! That is not far off at all.
> 
> And now: Science lesson time! (You can totally skip this) The hippocampus! Which if you remember is what Orochimaru said the poison overstimulated in Naruto's brain. It's actually an understimulated hippocampus that has ties with PTSD and the inability to distinguish reality from memory. Stimulating the hippocampus actually improves memory recall and allows people to remember really really specific things in crazy detail. Not sure what overstimulating would actually do, though I imagine it might cause a flood of memories which is what I wanted to happen. So yeah, I'm using bad science for the sake of fiction. Also I am a huge nerd. Don't get me started on the pituitary gland.


	9. Hatred

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad timing.

Minato ripped his attention away from Orochimaru with startled eyes as Naruto pushed away from Itachi, his eyes clenched shut as heavens knew what was being splashed across his mind. He barely had time to notice the slip of paper in Naruto’s hand.

“Naruto – _don’t –_ ” Itachi rushed out. It was too late.

Naruto was gone, without a trace. Minato’s mind whirred and stuttered nearly to a halt as he attempted to catch up with what happened. An idle hand was brought up to rest against his mouth: A nervous gesture he thought he long since abandoned. The world resumed it’s true pace as Itachi violently spun around to Orochimaru.

“ _What did you do_?” Fury lined his voice as red burned quite literally across his vision. Orochimaru’s surprised gaze stayed glued to where Naruto had simply vanished.

“I’m regretting my choice of poison.” Orochimaru admitted. “Most people faint.”

Itachi nearly snarled as he pulled out a kunai and slashed at Orochimaru who dodged with a practiced step. “What did you _do_?” Itachi repeated.

“Uchiha Itachi.” The Yondaime spoke. Itachi didn’t relax his grip on the kunai, but he did take a reluctant step back from Orochimaru who watched him with caution.  Even Orochimaru knew better than to goad Itachi into an actual fight. “Naruto is currently experiencing an onslaught of memories he can’t control; his current actions are unpredictable at best – we need to find him before he hurts himself or others.”

Itachi’s posture straightened as he regained some semblance of himself. “Yes, Yondaime-sama. I’ll organize a team immediately to locate him.”

“No.” The Yondaime said. Itachi flinched, but managed to hold back from protesting. “You will organize a team to investigate the death of Yakushi Kabuto.” Itachi’s eyes swept over the forgotten body on the ground. “That is an _order_.” The Yondaime finished as Itachi’s eyes narrowed coolly.

“Yes, sir.” Itachi said, and in a remarkable display of self-control, neutralized his expression into his usual mask of apathy.  He disappeared – although not quite as expertly as Naruto had managed. Minato turned a level stare on Orochimaru.

“You will stay here. If you attempt to leave your office, I will know. You will answer any and _all_ questions Itachi and his team ask you.”

Orochimaru’s severe gaze landed on Kabuto. “I think you’ve forgotten I’m not the enemy here.”

“I haven’t forgotten _anything_ , Orochimaru.” The Yondaime stated, alluding to more than just the present.

“Are you going to find the boy?” Orochimaru asked, his eyes locked onto the stilled form of his colleague.

“I already have.” 

* * *

 

A step. He’s in Suna – but there are trees? He looks to Gaara questioningly. The sun blazes down on Gaara’s face, a crack in the sand shielding him ran across his nose.  His eyes darken and reflect a red sky.

“Why did you believe in me? You should have known it would have never worked.” Naruto asks.

“I’ve always believed in you, Naruto.” Gaara answers, although his mouth doesn’t move. “I still do.” He looks out ahead of him, the dunes of trees spread out endlessly in an ocean of green before him.

Sakura looks back at Naruto over her shoulder. Her expression is apologetic and grim. She smiles a wicked smile, but the sorrow in her eyes gives her away.

“Sorry, Naruto. It looks like the most we can do here is buy you some time.” She says, releasing the seal on her forehead, looking more like Tsunade than she ever had before. “Run.” She whispers, diving forward to fearlessly meet her death.

The wind steals her words and keeps them as a warning.

“ _Run away._ ” 

* * *

Along the outskirts of Konoha, Minato warily approached the motionless man standing in front of him, his eyes darting erratically in his skull.

“Naruto-kun.” He said softly. “Naruto-kun, I need you to look at me. Whatever you’re currently seeing is not real.”

Naruto’s chakra was highly unstable. Minato could feel it pulsating in the air around them – for someone of Minato’s sensory abilities, Naruto may have well been a beacon of light. Fortunately, he had a Hiraishin seal located very close to where Naruto teleported.

Naruto’s eyes halted their frantic rolling, eerily gliding up to meet Minato’s gaze. Blue eyes, the same color Minato sees in the mirror every day, widened in disbelief. He didn’t blink. 

“Dad?” Naruto asked. A sharp pain spiked through Minato’s chest at the word.  “Even you? Kabuto – he –” Naruto stopped, his eyes looking past Minato. “I didn’t kill him.”

“I know, Naruto-kun. We’re looking into what happened now. You were hurt earlier; we need to bring you to the hospital. Tsunade and Itachi-kun will be there.” He spoke as non-threateningly as he could, as one would a wounded animal. Naruto’s focus _seemed_ to sharpen as Minato took a step closer. His eyes dilated with paranoia.

“Stop.” Naruto ordered. “I know you’re being controlled.” His eyes lost their concentration as they began darting around with no discernable objective. He brought out another piece of paper and held it out threateningly. Minato shifted his stance into something almost offensive. If Naruto teleported again – it might be out of Minato’s sensory range. He couldn’t risk that.

“Naruto-kun, I’m not here to fight you.” He said in a futile attempt to placate the other man. He kept a hidden hand on his personal brand of kunai. “Itachi-kun is worried about you.” He tried.

Naruto’s brows furrowed and he took a step back. “Itachi’s dead.” He spoke uncertainly. “He died seven years ago.” He pressed his thumb and forefinger against his eyes.  “Shut _up_ , Sasuke.” He muttered.

While Naruto was thoroughly distracted by his own mind, Minato efficiently dispersed his kunai throughout the immediate area with the hopes that Naruto would unwittingly near one.  Somehow Naruto sensed he was doing something and held the paper out again threateningly. If it were anyone else, in any other situation – Minato might have laughed. But in Naruto’s hands and in his current state of mind – a piece of paper could be the most destructive weapon in his arsenal.

“The Hiraishin won’t work.” Naruto said, staring at a tree. “Fuinjutsu is – it’s not very effective against me.”

“Naruto-kun, I’m not trying to work against you. I’m trying to _help_ you. Do you remember what happened? Orochimaru poisoned you.”

“ _Orochimaru_.” Naruto spat out, the pupils in his eyes seeming to distort into something a little less human. “ _All_ of this is his fault.”

Minato froze. Against his better judgment he asked, “What’s his fault, Naruto-kun?”

“The Edo Tensei!” Naruto cried. “The dead – people die. People are dead. Am I –?” Naruto took another unwieldy step back.  He whispered, “I told him we’d die together.”

Minato took his chance as Naruto neared one of his Hiraishin points. And in an astonishing display of speed and strength, Minato was sent flying backwards as Naruto landed a solid blow to his chest. Minato gasped as he brought a hand to where he was certain a black bruise was already spreading across his sternum. The hit was more akin to something Tsunade would deal out than a poisoned fuinjutsu expert. While regaining his breath, Minato’s eyes landed on the seal tattooed on Naruto’s arm.

_Chakra control_ , he reminded himself, _if he can focus enough raw chakra in a single spot to heal himself, focusing it in his attacks would be child’s play_.

Wonderful. He was trying to capture a paranoid-drunk Tsunade who could teleport.

“I _told_ you.” Naruto said, pinching the paper between his thumb and pointer finger. He slammed it against the ground and Minato watched as lines blazed across the ground, scorching a large symbol in the earth around them. He hastily analyzed what he could make of the lines around him, but the symbol didn’t stay lit for long and the marks were obscured by foliage and trees.

Minato slowly stood back up, for the sake of his own aching chest as well as not to startle Naruto.

“Naruto-kun.” Minato said through pained breaths.  “I’ll say it again. I’m not here to hurt you. I am trying to _help_ you.” Naruto was directly in front of a Hiraishin point now. There would be no chance for retaliation if Minato used it.

It didn’t work.

Baffled, Minato drew in a sharp breath. As his eyes swept his surroundings, he came to a tentative conclusion of what Naruto just did.

“It’s a null field.” Naruto said, his voice shaking as he strained to keep his focus anchored in reality. “A fuinjutsu null field. I designed it specifically to recognize and absorb the chakra that activates another seal. Any attempt to activate fuinjutsu within a mile of this seal will be useless – in fact the chakra you use will instead go to this seal – keeping it alive _longer_.” Naruto managed to explain.

Minato breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re handicapping yourself, as well.” He pointed out. If the seal absorbed chakra from fuinjutsu – Naruto couldn’t use another seal to escape. Nor could he use the seal on his arm, Minato figured.  

Naruto coughed lightly and brought a hand across his mouth. He didn’t look at the blood. Minato clenched his jaw – between the poison and Naruto’s reckless use of his chakra, he must be causing incredible grief to his body.

“No, I’m not.” Naruto boldly stated, not offering any further explanation.

Minato took the time to puzzle out how long it would take for the Anbu he requested to follow him to get there. He’d hoped to resolve this quickly and peacefully, but it seemed Naruto wasn’t about to have that. He’d rather not have to hurt him if he could avoid it. Tsunade was already beyond livid about the situation; Minato didn’t need to add to her ire.  He hoped Tsunade had the antidote ready when they returned, seeing Naruto in this state pulled on nerves Minato thought burned to ash a long time ago. Adding on the fact that he was found sneaking around restricted areas…

As long as Naruto couldn’t escape, it would be fine. Even without the Hiraishin, Minato’s speed wasn’t anything to laugh at. He’d wait for the opportune moment.

“Why were you in Orochimaru’s workstation?” He attempted to resume his previous line of questioning. Naruto didn’t answer, and his eyes glazed over as he succumbed to another memory. Minato took a tentative step forward. Naruto didn’t notice.

“Naruto-kun,” Minato tried again. “Why were you in Orochimaru’s workstation?”

“I’ve always been saying goodbye to others.” Naruto whispered, his voice muted even further by the wind shuffling through the leaves around them. “But how do I say goodbye to myself?”

Minato decided that couldn’t possibly be a prelude to something good, abandoned his slow approach and used the next best thing to the Hiraishin: The Body Flicker Technique. Fortunately, Naruto was a little too lost in himself to prevent Minato from dealing him a quick blow that would have painlessly rendered him unconscious.

If he hadn’t of disappeared in a puff of air.

Minato stared bewilderedly at where Naruto should have been.

“A shadow clone?” He asked himself, skepticism shadowing his voice. “He gave _that_ much chakra to a _shadow clone_?” Minato took a step back as he surveyed his surroundings, trying to sense if Naruto was nearby. He wasn’t. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair as his mind raced for an explanation.

Naruto must have teleported to this location, left a shadow clone as a distraction and teleported again.

“Sensei.” Kakashi’s voice came from his side. Three Anbu followed behind him. Minato spared them an irritated glance. “Naruto-kun?”

Minato shook his head. “Apparently he knows how to make very convincing shadow clones.” Minato said evenly. Kakashi summoned a few of his ninken and sent them out in efforts of catching a trail. “It’s unlikely to do any good. I’m sure he teleported again. Further this time.” Minato clenched his jaw. “ _Shit_.” He walked forward, trying to dispel his anger. Kakashi turned a blind eye on the fuming Yondaime and gave the Anbu orders to regroup with the intent of a large-scale search.

Kakashi toed the ground. “What are these lines?”

Minato gently pressed against his sore chest, flinching as the vicious bruise responded. “A _Fuinjutsu Null-Field_ , he called it.” Kakashi gave a low whistle. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I knew he was skilled, but he’s really been holding back on _how_ skilled he was.”

“Are you alright?” Kakashi detracted, noticing the other man’s discomfort. Minato waved him off.

“He landed a solid hit on me when I tried using the Hiraishin a bit too eagerly. That seal of his gives him _Tsunade_ -level chakra control.” Minato explained. Kakashi eyed the clearing, trying to recreate what happened. “Kakashi, we need to find him as soon as possible. The poison by itself apparently isn’t deadly, but along with his pre-existing condition and his excessive use of chakra – he’s killing himself.  I have no idea how much chakra his teleportation seal needs, but I can guarantee it’s more than he can spare at the moment. And we already know he’s used it at least twice. And if he’s made one shadow clone to throw us off his trail – there’s no telling how many others he made.”

Minato made a small noise of frustration, which Kakashi knew signified much more. There were very few things that could garner any visible level of irritation from the Yondaime. He supposed it was fitting it would be an Uzumaki to cause it.

“I need to get back to the village.” Minato reluctantly said. “Orochimaru has a few things to explain. I’ll leave tracking Naruto-kun to you.  And hopefully Itachi-kun managed to find a lead on Yakushi’s killer.” He mumbled.

Kakashi held the Yondaime back before he could leave. “Naruto-kun was asking about Orochimaru-san earlier today.” Minato steadied a level gaze at Kakashi as he continued. “When I asked him why he wanted to know, he said Orochimaru-san reminded him of someone who did something he couldn’t forgive.” Minato looked away as he considered Kakashi’s words. “I’m not defending Naruto-kun’s actions, but I don’t think he had any ill intent in carrying them out.”

Minato closed his eyes. “You’ve become good friends with him, haven’t you?” He asked quietly.

Kakashi looked away, neither confirming nor denying the question. “I think the world has been very cruel to him. Yet somehow, he still manages to see the good in it.”

Minato appraised his words. “Do you know something you’re not telling me?”

Kakashi’s attention shifted to his right, where one of his ninken jumped out from the foliage. “I’m not certain yet, Yondaime-sama. I don’t want to give you ill-conceived deductions, but I’ll try to explain what I can later.” The Yondaime nodded in acceptance and the two seamlessly carried out their burdens.

* * *

 

_Run away,_ the wind always says.

Naruto _knew_. He knew. Fighting is useless anymore. All they can do is run. It isn’t a skill he would have ever taken pride in, but it serves a purpose.

He’s sitting on the bridge, watching Sakura uselessly flirt with Sasuke, wondering what was so wrong with _him_ that people had to flock to others that didn’t give a shit about them. He supposes he’s no different. He chases after Sasuke, too.

A bird flies overhead. He sees Neji, young and spiteful at his own family. Older and wiser, rebelling against fate. Fate wins.

There is lightning in the sky, a petrified tree stands at his left, broken and crumbling to dust. Wood can transform to stone, but the world would still wear it down: Pebbles in a river. Sai studies the wood, always so fascinated with things he’s never seen before, or the things he was never allowed to look at.

Temari and Shikamaru lean in close to another, a private moment out in the open. Naruto averts his eyes but hears a whispered “This will have been enough.” His heart constricts as he painstakingly draws an impossibly straight line for the millionth time. He’s never felt more alone.

He knows who he is when he’s alone. He hates that person.

He’s trying to sleep in class. He envies Shikamaru’s ability to sleep anywhere and everywhere with an ease that puts a lazy cat to shame. He tries not to hear Ino and Sakura talk about soulmates. Someone who was supposed to be with you forever – a fantasy.  He’s never had anybody.

_Run away_ , the wind whispers in twisted mockery of Sakura’s voice. He hates running and he was _tired_. He could stop for a little while, right?

_Run away_ , the cold wind insists.

He goes to sleep. 

* * *

 

Training. Missions. Clan. Village. Duty.

Itachi understood responsibility. He was born and raised to bear it; to bring greatness to his clan and village. He didn’t know that he ever had the chance to be a child; he certainly was never able to relate to the others his age. He was intelligent; detached and objective, lacking the genuine curiosity and enthusiasm his peers experienced so naturally. He recognized his differences and he wasn’t sure what to make of them. He chose to spare his younger brother his own uncertainties and ensure he retained the childhood Itachi never had. It took a long time to recognize his burden for what it was.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to say it took a long time to recognize he had a burden at all. A weight never lifted is a weight never noticed.

Naruto was a breath of fresh air – a pocket of air in the ocean of life determined to see Itachi drowned. The more Itachi swam to him, the more his sensibilities cried at him to return to his endless plummet into responsibility, but Itachi could see the sky in Naruto’s eyes – the infinity of life spread out endlessly above him. And perhaps the sky was in Naruto eyes, but as Itachi swam closer, he couldn’t help but notice – there Naruto was – drowning in the same ocean beside him.

Perhaps he could see the sky in his eyes – but all he wanted was for Naruto to see that same sky reflected in Itachi’s own.

He could save Naruto. He refused to believe it was too late.

Itachi kept an unrelenting eye on Orochimaru as the team he assembled collected as much information as they could from the crime scene and body. Orochimaru answered all of Itachi’s questions with such incredible abstraction he was certain the man didn’t even try to understand the words coming out of his mouth. Itachi wondered how much trouble he’d be in if he used the Mangekyou Sharingan on him.

If it meant the possibility of clearing Naruto from any jeopardy he’s managed to find himself in, it would be worth it. 

Yakushi Kabuto – deceased. Means of death – blood loss from wounds inflicted on jugular and carotid arteries by chakra scalpel. No other weapon could create a wound so clean. A small puncture wound located on the back of deceased’s neck, consistent with the size of a senbon; possible means of entry for poison. As of yet, no poison found within the deceased’s system. Despite obvious signs of struggle throughout the room, no defensive or offensive wounds found on the deceased’s body aside from aforementioned fatal injuries.

No evidence pointing to the assailant found within the room or on the body. No suspicious persons reported seen entering or leaving this block of the building.

Orochimaru managed to clear one thing – the henge Naruto was using was confirmed to be seen entering the building by at least three staff members no more than an hour ago. Upon updating Kakashi with the current situation, he confirmed that Naruto had been with Team 7 during the deceased’s estimated time of death, giving him an unbreakable alibi.

The reason Naruto entered the Research Institute has yet to be determined.

Itachi’s eyes hardened as Orochimaru sighed while popping the joints in his fingers. He looked up from the papers in front of him.

“Really, Itachi-kun. I’m not going anywhere. I have no intentions of leaving my work here behind to start anew in some foreign land in a hole in the ground. I’ve become quite spoiled with what I have now.”

Itachi’s apathetic stare pierced through Orochimaru’s poor attempt at civility with the power of a thousand suns. Orochimaru sighed.

“Perhaps even the tiniest shred of sympathy would be welcome.” Orochimaru tried. “Kabuto was an esteemed colleague of mine that I’ve been watching develop into an outstanding researcher for many years.”

“I apologize for your loss.” Itachi recited noncommittally, his stare unwavering.

Itachi _did_ find tragedy in Yakushi Kabuto’s death. He was a well-known and very proficient mednin. To lose not one, but _two_ notable shinobi in such a short amount of time and in such mysterious circumstances was unheard of. 

His mind wandered back to Naruto.

What were his intentions by coming here? Did he notice something suspicious beforehand? Itachi’s heart dropped as he objectively considered other less agreeable circumstances.

Orochimaru’s incomprehensible accusations from earlier hammered at his consciousness. He felt sick.

Why did the Yondaime sentence him to investigating Yakushi’s death? The objective part of his mind reminded him it was because he was too invested in Naruto’s safety. He was biased in his opinion of Naruto, which left him unpredictable should things turn for the worst. He should be thankful to have been assigned to anything in relation to the situation.

He childishly ignored that part of his brain. If someone was going to bring Naruto back, it would have to be him. If Naruto was trapped in his memories, Itachi was the only one with the experience of drawing him out. The Sharingan also had its own advantages in such a situation – with the use of genjutsu Itachi could control the memories flowing through Naruto’s mind, if necessary.

Itachi took a deep breath. It was useless to think too much on it. He had orders to follow. If anyone was going to pick up Naruto’s trail, it would be Kakashi. Itachi smiled grimly as he recognized his faith in the man. Working together over the years has forged a strange sort of confidence between them, if not friendship. Itachi closed his eyes and admitted to himself that perhaps they were friends, after all. It was simply easier to pretend otherwise.

He rubbed his eyes and begrudgingly thought ‘ _or more fun’_.

He was beginning to think he was a masochist.

He shoved his introspection away and resumed his self-sanctioned watch of Orochimaru. The man remained unmoved from where he sat behind his desk, head bowed and eyes hollowed with grief. Itachi averted his gaze. No matter Orochimaru’s connection to all of this – he had just lost someone close to him.

Itachi thought of Naruto.

_What do you know about him?_ Orochimaru’s words rang through his head.

“I know enough.” Itachi mumbled to himself, quietly within the threatening growl of the world around him.

The Yondaime paced through the door, a harsh light in his eye, and headed straight for Orochimaru. 

* * *

 

He’s never understood the yearning to live forever. _Everyone_ lives forever.

And everyone dies in the attempt.

Naruto’s no philosopher, but despite Jiraiya’s penchant for erotica, he never fails to slip in remarkable insight that goes wasted in the minds of characters who only want to fumble around in bed. Or the kitchen. Or, _alright_ , anywhere really. Naruto’s pretty sure one of Jiraiya’s life goals is to write every sex scene in every location possible. He’s getting especially creative in his latest manuscript. Naruto rolls his eyes as the main character has yet another brilliant moment of self-awareness – and then proceeds to apply it to his amour’s derriere.  

He wonders if Itachi’s read the Icha Icha books. Naruto can’t really picture it, but could sort of imagine Itachi forcing himself to read it in secret just to understand the craze. When Naruto gets some money he should buy him the books as a joke. Then again, Kakashi probably already has. He’ll have to stick to repaying his crippling life debt the old fashioned way.

Naruto can hear the wind in the distance, a warning echoing within it, but Sasuke’s kicking him under the table and Itachi’s smiling at him and Naruto is truly a sucker for smiles, especially when he’s the reason they exist.

It’s almost unsettling how easy life is now.

But then he remembers he’s the only one alive. 

* * *

 

It’s nearly four hours later when Kakashi came back with a trail.

It was a lucky guess – The very first day Naruto opened his eyes he said he lost his group in Kumo. Where else would a man go when faced with his past than _to_ his past?

It was a _very_ lucky guess.

The Yondaime had little more success with Orochimaru than Itachi did, although it did become relatively clear that Orochimaru now seemed to be just as confused about Naruto’s existence as the rest of them, despite the baseless accusations he made against him to Itachi.

The most coherent line Orochimaru managed to spit out over the agonizing course of those long four hours was, “If you find a man on the verge of death with a suspicious and untraceable past and expect him NOT to be into something illegal, I feel like that mistake is on you.”  

Orochimaru wasn’t in the Yondaime’s best books at the moment.

Itachi was considering that perhaps _he_ wasn’t in the Yondaime’s best books either as he was yet again excluded from the team assigned to retrieve Naruto.

“Yondaime-sama,” Itachi struggled to hide the irritation in his voice. “Forgive me for questioning your orders, but I don’t understand why I am to remain in Konoha.”

The Yondaime retained a steady air in the face of Itachi’s mounting frustration.  

“Itachi-kun, we don’t know his current condition – the state he’s in, especially after so long – it may not be something you want to see.”

“Are you suggesting that I’d be incapable of handling myself properly in the case I find him dead?”

“I’m saying you shouldn’t _have_ to.” The Yondaime replied. Itachi clenched his jaw, the excruciating memories of carrying Shisui’s body home clawing their way out.

“Kamui.” Was all Itachi said. The Yondaime and Kakashi considered him. “You said even with the Hiraishin, it would still take you a couple hours to get to where you _think_ Naruto is currently located. That may be time he doesn’t have.”

“Itachi-kun.” Kakashi said in warning. “You haven’t mastered Kamui yet and it would use an obscene amount of chakra to travel the distance required to reach him.”

Unyielding, Itachi continued. “Reaching him would be all I have to do. Give me a syringe with the antidote and this can be over much sooner.” He snapped his eyes to the Yondaime in grim determination. “What would you do if it was Kushina-san?”

Taken aback, the Yondaime appraised Itachi in a new light. The Yondaime understood the implication of the comparison, and Itachi knew he’d be unable to refuse. With a discouraged sigh and something akin to empathy in his eyes, the Yondaime nodded and handed him a capped syringe and a bottle of medicinal soldier pills meant for Naruto in the extreme case he wasted all of his chakra.

“We’ll be right behind you, Itachi-kun.”

And much like Naruto had hours before, Itachi disappeared without a trace. 

* * *

 

In the short transition between exiting Kamui and stepping back into reality, Itachi could hear the shattering of space around him. He fell to a knee, gasping, as he underestimated the blow to his chakra that Kamui would deal. He held a hand against his eye in the instinctive, yet pointless, gesture to help relieve the pain he was experiencing. He could feel his pulse through his fingers, and was thankful to find his hand unstained by blood as he pulled it away.

He felt for the syringe and pills in his pocket to ensure they were still with him and stood up when he regained his balance. One of Kakashi’s ninken barked at him from a short distance away, wagging his tail emphatically as he pointed his nose and body northeast. Itachi gave a curt nod to the dog, which disappeared with a distinctive _pop_ only summons could manage.

Itachi headed northeast.

Kumo was a mountainous region, craggy and steep; not welcoming at all. The shinobi were even less welcoming here, and Itachi could only hope he didn’t run into any Kumo ninja while he was in their territory. Despite a tentative agreement not to be outright enemies, Kumo and Konoha always managed to find some petty conflict to squabble about. 

The air was crisp in a way he wasn’t used to, cold and lacking the heavy humidity Konoha suffered from. The sky was clear above him; a deep blue, spotted with white clouds. Juniper growing from a crack in a boulder brushed against him as he noiselessly stepped through a narrow pass. In the shadows thrown by the sharp cliffs jutting out above him, he noticed signs of recent traverse. Unsteady footprints led around a sharp turn that blended in seamlessly with the jagged cut of rock surrounding him.

He rushed to the still form of Naruto propped against a boulder which he noticed blocked most of the opening to what appeared to be a small cave. Itachi didn’t care about that.

He was blind to everything that wasn’t Naruto as he uncapped the syringe and efficiently jabbed it into the muscle of Naruto’s thigh. He threw the empty syringe away and grabbed Naruto’s slack face, tilting it upwards. His skin felt cold and slick under Itachi’s fingers and his eyes rolled in his head – consistent with how the Yondaime described the clone he tried to capture hours ago. His pulse was elevated, but non-threatening, and his chakra, while low and unstable, was still very much there.

Itachi slumped down against Naruto, resting his forehead on his shoulder. He took a deep breath of relief.

Naruto was going to be fine.

Itachi only wished he was capable of using Kamui just one more time, to put an end this ridiculous situation that should have never occurred. He considered the soldier pills in his pocket, and held off.  They were safe – Naruto was safe. The antidote was administered and for a couple hours Itachi could ensure that he _stayed_ safe and recovered in peace.

“What were you _thinking_ , Naruto?” He spoke into Naruto’s shoulder. Naruto stiffened beneath him. Itachi abruptly pulled back to see dilated blue eyes staring straight at him. “Naruto? Are you alright?” He asked cautiously, remembering the paranoia and confusion the Yondaime described.

“Itachi?” Naruto said just as quietly. “Sorry, I pushed Sasuke into the river. He was being a little shit.” The strength of his voice waned with each word, and his eyes closed as his head fell back on the rock behind him.

Itachi took an almost hysterical breath as he laughed and let his head drop forward again to Naruto’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, Naruto. Everything’s alright.” He whispered, reigning in tears. Everything _would_ be alright. It had to be. Naruto would recover. There would be an explanation for everything, Yakushi’s and Danzo’s killer would be found, and everything would just go back to how it should be.

“I have to – finish the seal.” Naruto said. “It’s almost done, Itachi.”

“No, no, you don’t.” Itachi denied, keeping his weight on Naruto as he made a weak effort to stand. “You need to sleep, Naruto. Just sleep.”

“It’s almost finished.” He protested. “Just that one little part left. Then – then me n’ Sasuke can save you.”

“I’m fine, Naruto. Just rest. After you rest you can do anything you want.”

Naruto brought a clammy and weak hand to Itachi’s face, pushing him back to look at him. Itachi’s nerves were stretched further at the deliberate brush of skin against his, consciously very aware that _this was not the time_. However, feelings were not something he handled well on a normal day, and after a day as needlessly stressful as this; he allowed the emotions to overwhelm him. He held his own hand over Naruto’s and pressed against it, closing his eyes and reveling in the contact. Naruto’s thumb brushed over his cheekbone.

“You’re too young.” He said, confused.

Itachi reddened at the words, loosening his hold slightly. His age was something that had given many people pause over the years in relation to his skill level, but he never imagined it would become an issue within his personal life.  He entwined his fingers within Naruto’s and brought their hands down. His eyes darted away nervously, the hurried beat of his heart forcing more and more blood up his neck and ears.

_This really wasn’t the time_.

“You should rest.” Itachi tried again.

Why did everything having to do with Naruto come along with such incredibly poor timing? He ran his other hand across his face as the embarrassment failed to dissipate.

Seven years wasn’t _that_ big of a gap, was it? His mind raced through arguments he could use later when everything wasn’t so unbelievably screwed up.

“No – Kabuto, he – Did he use the Edo Tensei on you, too?” Naruto asked, suddenly alert as he pushed himself back as far as he could.

With a dawning sense of comprehension Itachi realized Naruto had yet again allowed the memories forced into his consciousness to blend with reality.

How long would the antidote need to counter the poison in his system?

“No, nothing has happened. Naruto, please, you need to rest.” He tried again, avoiding mentioning anything that would cause him more panic. “You’ve had a very long day. Everything will be fine after you’ve rested.”  

After a surprised intake of air, Naruto shoved Itachi away with a strength Itachi hadn’t expected, despite the Yondaime’s warning. He stared wide-eyed at Naruto who precariously stood up, leaning on the boulder for support, its jagged edges leaving angry marks on Naruto’s skin.

“I know –” Naruto said, “I know this isn’t your fault. Sasuke – he’s forgiven you, you know? For everything. The massacre – But we’re going to change things, Itachi. We’ll go back, we have to. We have to fix everything. We’ll _save_ you.”

Itachi stood slowly across from him, his heart weighing him down. He eyed the pocket Naruto’s hand hovered over. He couldn’t risk letting Naruto use anymore fuinjustu. If the past was any indication, anything he used could lead to yet another catastrophe.

He met Naruto’s eyes.

Naruto blinked and Itachi’s genjutsu slipped off him like tears in the rain. Disbelieving, Itachi vaguely remembered Naruto offhandedly saying he was good at avoiding genjutsu. Itachi had never met anyone able to shake off his genjutsu with such little effort they didn’t seem to recognize it being cast. Itachi faltered as he considered perhaps the poison itself was interfering.

“Your eyes.” Naruto whispered, taking a defensive step back. “Those – those aren’t your eyes.” He said, a puzzled frown marring his face.   

Itachi put aside his incredulity as he realized he’d never activated his Sharingan in front of Naruto before.

“It’s the Sharingan, Naruto. It’s the Uchiha bloodline, remember?”

“I know what the _Sharingan_ is.” Naruto said indignantly. “But those _aren’t your eyes_.”

Itachi raised his hand to his face as shock crossed his features. Could Naruto possibly be referring to –

“There was an accident.” Itachi said, letting his eyes briefly flicker to Naruto’s pocket. If he couldn’t use genjutsu on him, he needed to get rid of any fuinjutsu he might have. Then, at the very least, he could wait until the antidote took full effect and Naruto came to his senses. “I was on a mission with my friend, Shisui, and – in the end, he made me take his eyes.” Itachi cringed as he tried not to remember. He couldn’t imagine what Naruto must be experiencing, unable to push down the memories flooding through his mind.  “So you are correct, Naruto. These aren’t my eyes.”

“The Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.” Naruto mumbled. “Yours look really different.” Itachi wasn’t sure what to make of that, but he _was_ very shocked Naruto knew what they were called. Even amongst the clan, there were few people who knew the entire truth behind the Sharingan. He tried a genjutsu one more time as Naruto tensed in an offensive posture. Itachi had no intention of fighting Naruto.

The genjutsu didn’t hold, but Naruto _must_ have noticed it this time as he narrowed his eyes and reached for his pocket. With something like dread, Itachi moved impossibly fast and intercepted Naruto’s reach, shamefully glad that Naruto wasn’t in top form, and pinned his arm against the rock wall. Within the moment Naruto was still stunned, Itachi emptied Naruto’s pockets and with a quick fire jutsu burned the papers to ash. He barely had time to dodge as Naruto viciously attacked him with one of the chakra blades Itachi bought him, not two weeks ago.

At an acceptable distance away, Itachi held up both of his hands in an effort to show he wasn’t a threat. The gleam in Naruto’s eyes implied he didn’t take heed of this courtesy as he grit his teeth and snarled, a face that contrasted so heavily with Itachi’s perceived image of him, it stung.

“Naruto, I am your _friend_.” Itachi said slowly, trying to remain calm and knowing he was failing as his heart raced in his chest. “You’ve been poisoned. Whatever you’ve been seeing, whatever you’ve been hearing – It’s not _real_ , Naruto. I’ve given you the antidote, but it might be a while before –”

Naruto threw one of the blades at Itachi, and while it missed, the wind chakra infused in the blade reached him, biting deeply into his skin as it flew by. He twisted around and blocked another attack, immediately regretting his decision to block rather than evade, as the pure force of the hit broke the bones in his forearm. He hissed as he slid back, fortunate that they were merely fractures.

“ _Naruto_ ,” He tried, desperation lining his voice. “I’m _not_ here to fight you.”

“I know you’re being controlled.” Naruto said unevenly. “But I can’t let you – ” He coughed violently into his arm, spraying out flecks of blood. Itachi resisted the urge to approach him, knowing any attempt to comfort him would be viewed as an assault.

Itachi could feel Naruto’s chakra – thick and unstable in the air around them. If Naruto’s chakra continued to leak out like this…

Itachi took a few steps back. Maybe if he kept his distance Naruto wouldn’t take him as a threat. Frustrated, he tried and failed yet again at casting a genjutsu as Naruto’s coughing let up. He couldn’t comprehend how Naruto seemed to be so completely immune.

Naruto staggered sideways as he took a few deep breaths. He spun and hit the ground.

_Fuck_ , Itachi thought as he ran towards him. He was pale and clammy; more so than he’d already been, and his breaths were shallow. Itachi attempted to take his pulse when suddenly Naruto’s eyes opened.

They were red.

Without a moment’s notice, Itachi found himself pinned to the ground, one of Naruto’s hands coated in a red chakra aimed to strike down in an attack that could very well bring a permanent end to Itachi’s life.

Within the span of that moment, Itachi tried to cast a genjutsu one last time. 

* * *

Naruto woke up.

He could hear the crackling of a fire to his left, but his eyes felt too heavy to open. A cool hand pressed against his forehead and brushed away the damp strands of hair plastered to his forehead.

“You’re finally awake.” A low voice said, almost tonelessly, but Naruto was familiar enough with it to recognize the relief there.

“Sasuke.” He tried to say. He coughed instead, rolling on his side as the pain in his chest became unbearable.

“Moron. I’ve barely managed to keep you alive, don’t undo my work. I’m not especially skilled in healing, as you should currently be more than aware of.”

If anything about Naruto was supposed to have been healed, Naruto would have to say Sasuke’s attempts at healing could be compared to stitching up a wound with a hammer and rusty nails.

“Next time,” Naruto rasped out, “I might be better off healing naturally.” Sasuke snorted somewhere from Naruto’s right. “Did you _staple_ me together?”

“A few staples might have been involved.”

Naruto forced his eyes open, wincing when they met the light of the fire. He closed them as they started to water.

“I feel like I should punch you, so I’m just going to lie here until the urge passes.”

“Hm, so that’s the thanks I get. Feel free to try and punch me if you like. You’d only succeed in hurting yourself, however.”

Naruto painfully brought a hand over his eyes as he moaned.

They let the silence linger between them for a few minutes before Naruto reluctantly asked, “What happened?”

Sasuke waited a moment before asking, “What do you remember?”

“We were in the caves. I was working on the seal. And then –” He trailed off.

“And then we were attacked.” Sasuke finished. Naruto drew in a shaky breath.

“You used the seal.”

“Yes.”

Naruto opened his eyes again. The light was a little less painful. He looked to his right.

Sasuke sat next to him, the small fire throwing fickle shadows across his face, hiding his features. His hair looked longer than Naruto remembered, falling down into his eyes. The lines under his eyes were black.

“You look like shit.” Naruto said.

“I look like a fairy princess compared to you, Naruto.” Sasuke retorted, looking for all the world like a man of extreme discipline and severity, but something about the quirk of his mouth might have hinted at a sense of humor when the light hit it just right.

“Ugh.” He groaned. “Where are we?”

Sasuke shrugged. “Somewhere in Iwa.”

“Uuugh.” He groaned again. “Can’t we go somewhere with trees? I’m sick of rocks and caves.”

“Heal fast then, because I’m not dragging your ass two hundred miles south.”

“How long has it been?” Naruto asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

“Eight days.” Sasuke replied monotonously. Naruto sighed as exhaustion crept into his vision, forcing his eyes shut.

“I had a weird dream.”

“Of course you did.” Sasuke replied, as if Naruto always had weird dreams. Which he _did_ , but whatever. There was hardly any need to be snarky. Naruto made a face he hoped properly demonstrated how amused he wasn’t.

“It was… nice.” Naruto elaborated regardless. “I was in Konoha and – and –” he stuttered. And Itachi was there, he didn’t say. Sasuke wasn’t one for reminiscing, preferring to keep everything inside until he blew up. Or blew something _else_ up, as the case may be. And Itachi was the ultimate topic of avoidance.

“And?” Sasuke indulged him, probably out of sheer boredom, the bastard. Naruto turned red. “Why are you blushing, idiot? Oh, was it _that_ kind of dream?” Naruto could practically feel the smirk aimed at him.

“NO.” Naruto growled, glaring at Sasuke with a single eye. “Jeez, what, are you a pervert now?” Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly. “It was just nice.” Naruto finished sourly. Itachi was nice, anyways. Sasuke was still a bastard. Naruto supposed that was just something that was meant to be.

He smiled when he thought about Itachi, _way_ too nice to be related to Sasuke. He remembered the easy conversations, the joint Sasuke-annoying, the uh – the hugging. Yeah, the hugging was definitely nice.

“Stop smiling, you look stupid.”

“Shut up, Sasuke. _You’re_ stupid.”

“Great comeback.”

“Ugh.” Naruto proceeded to ignore him. Itachi wouldn’t call him stupid. He might give him a look, though, or imply it in some roundabout way. His smile faded as he realized none of it was real. Then he felt guilty as he recalled Sasuke died to save his life in the dream. Then he realized Sasuke really _could_ have died saving his life and went through a lot of trouble to keep him alive for the past eight days – and Naruto just called him stupid.

“Sorry.” He mumbled.

Sasuke just huffed out a breath of air and flicked him gently upside the head. Naruto grinned and tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat as he remembered Itachi’s face as – as Naruto was about to – about to _kill_ him?

“No.” Naruto shook his head, over a month of memories flooding back to him. “No, this isn’t –”

“Naruto?” Sasuke’s concerned voice sounded distant now, a distressed echo bouncing off the cave walls.

“Sasuke, you _died_.” Naruto sat up, ignoring the pain ripping through his body. Sasuke watched him, a grim expression set on his face.

“Naruto, I’m right here.” He said.

A single tear slipped down Naruto’s face as he gave a watery smile and he shook his head.

Voice shaking, he said, “No. You’re in here.” He tapped his head. Sasuke dropped his eyes, always aware of when he wouldn’t be able to win an argument with him.  Naruto brought trembling hands up to form a seal and spoke one simple word.

“Kai.”

He met Itachi’s wary gaze across from him, Sharingan still activated. He cradled his arm awkwardly and looked so damned tired and sad that Naruto broke his eyes away in guilt.

Naruto sat up, and pushed himself back until he met the wall. He didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t say anything. He could feel the heavy ache throughout his entire body and the buzz of chakra that he usually only gets after a fight fizzling in the air around him. A lingering _something_ told him he hasn’t been quite himself. He brought his knees up and hid his head in his arms.

“I’m sorry.” Itachi said.

Naruto shuddered, and with a rough voice asked, “What could you possibly be sorry for, Itachi? Everything is my fault. I almost _killed_ you.”

“The genjutsu. I’m sorry.” Itachi’s voice was quiet and controlled.

Naruto shook his head, still hidden in his arms, too ashamed to look up. “In some ways, I think that was the kindest genjutsu I’ve ever been put under.”

“I didn’t have time to think of something else. I’m sorry.”

“Stop, just stop apologizing. _I almost killed you_. Why would you even care about me after that? Why do you care about me _at all_?”

“Because I –” Itachi cut himself off indecisively before building his resolve. “Because I’m in love with you.”

A sort of numb shock ran through Naruto as the last words he ever imagined hearing again shot through his heart. Slowly, he raised his head and stared wide-eyed at Itachi, who, for his credit, retained his determined air, despite the tremor that ran through his hand when their eyes met.

They were both beaten down and exhausted, with broken bones and broken hearts; and Itachi was in love.

Naruto’s mouth opened and closed wordlessly as his weak heart forced itself to restart in his chest.

Itachi’s gaze didn’t falter. He’d see this through to the end. He had no intentions of letting this go.

“Itachi,” Naruto said breathlessly, the weight of exhaustion crushing against his skull staved off by a sudden spike of adrenaline. “Itachi – You don’t even know who I _am_. How could you – why would you possibly –” He brought a hand over his mouth, disbelief tainting his words.

“I know enough, Naruto. But it’s up to you whether or not I’ll ever know the rest.” The quiet of Itachi’s voice didn’t cover all of his uncertainty, but to Naruto he may have well etched the words in stone and slammed against his head, leaving a permanent imprint of the words on the side of his face. 

The sun overhead began its descent past the peak of the cliff they were sheltered by, casting a cold shadow over them. Naruto’s disbelieving stare turned to alarm. Without the warm light of the sun, Itachi’s face appeared sickly pale, the shadows under his eyes making him look gaunt and bruised. There were sharp cuts lining his face Naruto remembered inflicting when he threw the chakra blade. His guilt only mounted.

Itachi stared back defensively; knowing whatever Naruto said could deal more damage than any mortal wound. He knew how to take a hit, to bind broken bones, staunch bleeding, to face death itself – But he was left entirely vulnerable for what someone could do to the gaping hole in his chest revealing his fragile heart within.

Naruto made a sort of face that conveyed such an amount of raw emotion, Itachi irrationally felt as though _he’d_ been the one dealing the blows. Naruto opened his mouth again, and Itachi prepared for the worst.

Naruto’s eyes rolled up into his head and he slumped over in a faint. Itachi could hear his breaths: Shallow, but even.

Itachi couldn’t stop the numb sarcasm that escaped, “Well, that could have happened sooner.”

It was only when the Yondaime and Kakashi arrived that he was able to break his eyes away from Naruto’s fatigued form.  

The newcomers took in the scene with a startled halt. Itachi couldn’t look them in the eye. He studied the small cave instead and with a detached sort of shock wondered if it was where Naruto’s group died. He heard, rather than saw, Kakashi walk towards Naruto.  

“Itachi-kun, are you alright?” The Yondaime asked, seeing the awkward position of his arm and the lack of anything on his face.

“Fine,” was the curt reply as he awkwardly stood and took an agonizing step forward.

“He’s out cold.” Kakashi called, over from where Naruto was. “He won’t be awake for a while.”

Pathetically, Itachi was both glad and resentful. He would have time to properly reign in his emotions when Naruto inevitably confronted him. But it would also be more time for him to needlessly stress out over how Naruto would react to his confession and more importantly – how the whole situation would play out.

He felt petty as he fretted over his feelings while Naruto was still very much in trouble.

The Yondaime’s eyes swept over the area, stalling on the cave. He stabbed one of his kunai into a crevice in the rock wall beside him with the intention of returning later. His eyes strayed to Naruto, Kakashi still bent over him.

“I’m afraid we’ll be having a very long discussion once you wake up, Naruto-kun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the sad pic, I didn't think a funny one would fit the chapter. 
> 
> Anyways, this chapter was a pain and a half to write, so hopefully it still turned out alright. I think my eyes will rot out if I read over it again. Still pretty sure I forgot something, but oh well. I can always secretly edit it later and confuse everyone. This chapter was a lot more wordy than I'm used to, but I guess the practice is good for me. And don't worry, Orochimaru will get his turn soon. 
> 
> Just to clear up Orochimaru, cuz I think a few people are still a bit confused about whether he's 'good' or 'evil': He's not either. He's a complicated guy. He's on the 'good side' technically, but his morality is still pretty dang iffy. 
> 
> And yea, I'm a sucker for drama. Sorry to anyone who wanted sparkly eyed love confessions and lots of fluff. There will be fluff later, but now is the time for DRAMA. Also, when it comes to abilities/fighting in this fic, if something doesn't fit canon, it's because I'm taking liberties. All this teleporting nonsense is super OP.
> 
> Thanks for the comments and kudos! You guys are too nice to me, except for when you call me evil. I'm only kind of evil. Ahem.


	10. No Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi doesn't handle things well and Naruto is still an idiot. Surprise!

There was something to be said about hospitals that it was possible to describe one simply by saying the word hospital.

It sure smelled like one, Itachi thought as his consciousness faded in and out. He hated the smell. Someone paced uneasily in front of him.

“Sasuke, sit down.” Itachi mumbled. The pacing came to a startled halt.

“Nii-san, you’re awake!” Sasuke said a bit too loudly. Itachi winced and cracked one of his eyes open. His brother stood in front of him in the hospital lounge, nervousness painting his features.  “I’m sorry; I should have been paying more attention to him.” Itachi opened his other eye at that, and furrowed his brow in confusion.

“What?”

“The moron. You told me to watch him, but I got distracted by other things. It’s my fault.” Sasuke’s face and voice conveyed the sort of naïve guilt only a child could muster.

“It’s not your fault.” Itachi said, exhaustion lining his voice.

“But if I –”

“Sasuke, it turns out Naruto’s a lot stronger than he looks. There isn’t much you could have done to stop him from doing anything.”

Sasuke looked down, forcefully stifling the argument at the tip of his tongue. “Are you alright?” He asked instead, gesturing to Itachi’s wrapped arm. Itachi’s head fell back, the cheap fabric of the chair scratching against his neck.

“Terrific.” He forced out. Sasuke cringed and shuffled awkwardly on his feet. Itachi sighed and closed his eyes, too tired to feel like an asshole. He heard Sasuke take the seat next to him.

“Is Naruto..?” Sasuke trailed off.

“He’ll be fine.” Itachi replied a moment later. “He just has a lot of explaining to do.”  Sasuke shifted where he sat, but remained quiet. Itachi knew his injuries were relatively superficial, but his exhaustion was very much real. He didn’t think of Naruto as he blamed Kamui. The skill had never felt natural to him and it used more chakra than it was worth.

He drifted off again amongst the white noise of idle chatter and the movement around him. He awoke to the masked face of Kakashi sitting across from him. He immediately shut his eyes. It was all he could possibly do. That, or scream.

Itachi preferred the quieter option.

“Oh, good. You’re awake.” The inexpressibly bored voice droned. Itachi grunted. He could hear Sasuke snoring lightly at his right. “How are you feeling?”

“Like someone hurled a meteor at me and poured salt on my corpse for good measure.”

“Hmm. I couldn’t even pick up a meteor.”

Itachi cracked an eye open. “That’s why I will defeat you in our inevitable confrontation.”

Kakashi blinked. “I can’t tell if you’ve been spending too much time with Naruto-kun or Sasuke-kun.” He admitted.

“Both.” Itachi muttered as he closed his eye again and sunk down further into the horridly uncomfortable chair.

“That would do it.” Kakashi said. “Itachi-kun,” Kakashi said hesitantly, as if unsure how to continue the sentence.  “Has Naruto-kun ever – _known_ something? Something that is very unlikely he should know.”

Itachi frowned as the unbidden memory of how Naruto reacted to his Sharingan crossed his mind.

“Why do you ask?”

Kakashi shook his head, the small visibility of his face managing to look disturbed. “I’ve been trying to figure out Naruto-kun ever since we’ve found him with little success. I’m sure you’ve done the same.” Itachi gave no indication of confirmation. “Sometimes, it’s just small things, but sometimes he seems to be aware of things that he really just shouldn’t be.”

“Such as?”

He shook his head again. “Small things.” He repeated. “I can overlook a few instances of perceptiveness, but Naruto-kun is hardly the perceptive type and the things he knows are odd, to say the least.”

“Everything about Naruto is odd.” Itachi said through a sigh.

“Is that why you like him?” Kakashi asked. Itachi gave him a disinterested look before casting his eyes down.

“Have you ever been in love?” Itachi asked, straightforward in a way Kakashi supposed he really _should_ have expected from the unsociable teen.

“You of all people should know that I’m a withered husk of a human being incapable of true love, Itachi-kun.” Kakashi played off. Itachi’s eyes moved in the laziest excuse of an eye roll he had ever seen. Kakashi turned his gaze to the room Naruto was recovering in. “Sometimes I think I could have been, once.” Kakashi answered, his thoughts drifting away.

“Who was it?” Itachi asked, not bothering with tact. Kakashi returned his eye to Itachi.

“You were too young to have met her.” Kakashi said. Itachi didn’t let his curiosity get the better of him.  

“I confessed to him.” Itachi admitted, too emotionally exhausted to be embarrassed anymore. Kakashi stayed quiet. “He didn’t really seem to understand that someone could be in love with him.”

After a moment, Kakashi responded. “Well, Naruto-kun’s a bit dense on the _best_ of days.”

Itachi breathed out a short laugh. “Yeah.”

“Things will work out.” Kakashi attempted.

“Things always work out. It’s _how_ they work out that’s the problem.”

“Naruto-kun is a good person.”

Itachi’s head fell back on the chair again, and he let out a long, tired breath.

“ _Good men are the most dangerous of us all_.” Itachi tiredly quoted Orochimaru.

 

* * *

 

 

A full day later, Naruto still hadn’t woken up.

Minato swept his eyes over the ostentatious office. It was spacious and refined, driving home the point that the occupant was important enough to merit the space, but minimalistic enough to warrant that the space was hardly needed. He brought his eyes to one of the large garish awards hanging on the wall recognizing Orochimaru for his involvement and critical insight on a project that led to the successful development of a procedure that effectively regenerated nerves and tissue. The ultimate goal of the ongoing project was to develop the ability to regenerate entire limbs and organs, making transplants and prosthetics a thing of the past.

Minato eyed his own signature on the commendation and turned his head to face Orochimaru.

“I’ve given you a lot of chances over the years, Orochimaru. I can see the benefits your research brings to our village – but the pain and suffering you’ve caused others in the past is not something that can ever be erased.  It was only your own admittance of guilt that saved you.”

Orochimaru kept averted yellow eyes on the single dark tinted window bisecting the wall.

“Your sudden refusal to give me any straight answers leads me to believe that maybe you didn’t reveal the full extent of your crimes all those years ago.”

A long pale finger tapped a single time on the dark wood of the desk in front of him, thunder in the echo of his own silence.   

“What happened twelve years ago, Orochimaru?” Minato asked. “Itachi made it very clear that you were _very_ sure that what’s happening now is some consequence of what happened back then.”

“You know what happened twelve years ago, _Yondaime-sama_.” Orochimaru replied with no lack of indignity. “You were there; don’t play me for a fool. You’re more than capable of drawing the conclusions on your own.”

Minato took three sharp steps to halt in front of Orochimaru.

“Actually, I find myself failing to draw any lines between what’s happening now and _my wife’s_ _death._ ” He bit out. “Please, Orochimaru, clarify that part for me. Consider _me_ the fool if it overrides your ego into talking.”

“You really don’t see it, do you?” Orochimaru asked, leaning forward. “Your wife’s death was a travesty, yes, but what happened _after?_ ” Minato’s cold eyes narrowed dangerously.

“You exposed the reality of the work you did with Danzo’s resources.”

Orochimaru shook his head and a bitter quirk of the mouth morphed his face. “You still think this is about me.” He pushed the chair he sat in back and stood up. “It’s not.” He stated in such a way that offered no room for argument. “Tell me, did you ever figure out what really happened to Kushina?”

Minato’s face twisted into an ugly shape as his hand twitched tellingly.

“Are you saying that you do, Orochimaru?” He asked calmly, in stark contrast to the livid aura surrounding him. Orochimaru turned his head.

“I have my suspicions, as I’m sure you do. The only difference is that I wasn’t blind to the true nature of the people surrounding me.”

“Orochimaru – if you don’t start explaining _right now_ –”

“I said your wife’s death was a _travesty_. The tragedy, however, _that_ is still very much alive. And she’s colder than the fires of hell – and just as angry.”

“I’m tired of your ridiculous wordplay. Who killed Kabuto and Danzo? Who killed my _wife_?”

A light flashed through Orochimaru’s eyes. “Ah, you’re finally on the right track. Think about it – very curious methods of death, don’t you think? It would take quite the amount of skill in medical ninjutsu to pull Kabuto’s and Danzo’s deaths off, don’t you think? Who else have you known that possessed such incredible potential in the subject?”

Minato rocked back on his heels as he understood the implication. He stared at Orochimaru incredulously. Orochimaru shrugged.

“I said I had my suspicions, not that I had any proof.”

 Minato shook his head in disbelief. There was no point in entertaining such delusions. “And Naruto-kun?”

“Uzumaki Naruto…” Orochimaru drawled, his upper lip twitching in distaste. “I’m still figuring him out. I’ll admit to connecting some lines a bit too enthusiastically before. When the pieces fit so well, sometimes I just can’t help myself. But there is certainly _something_ about him tied up in this.”

“The Rinnegan.” Minato said. “He accused you of having them.”

Orochimaru smirked, the long line of his mouth stretched out in parody of a smile.

“You’re more than welcome to search my possessions if it will help your state of mind, Yondaime-sama. I have nothing to hide anymore.”

“Funny, coming from a man who refuses to answer simple questions.”

“I’ve yet to hear a simple question aimed in my direction.”

Minato let out a frustrated breath of air and turned to leave. He’d heard enough pseudo-sophisticated babbling for the day; he’d have Tsunade ‘talk’ to him later.  Orochimaru was as afraid of her temper as anyone.

A name flickered through Minato’s mind and he shook his head guiltily.

The dead are simply that – dead. Orochimaru was treading in dangerous waters if he continued throwing baseless accusations around.

He went to find Tsunade.

 

* * *

 

 

“He’ll be fine, but it’s his chakra again.” Tsunade said. “It just _stopped_. Fortunately he still had some in his body, so I haven’t had to do anything drastic.” She shot a severe look outside the window of her office. “But something’s still sucking at the chakra inside of him; I haven’t been able to pin it down yet.” She motioned to the notes and diagrams scattered over her desk.

“Not even the slightest idea?” Minato asked.

“I’ve seen people suck chakra out of other people, I’ve seen objects steal chakra from people that hold them, I’ve seen techniques that pull someone’s chakra straight out of them or even give chakra to others – but I’ve never seen someone just flat out absorb their own chakra.  If his body is processing his chakra for something else – I haven’t been able to determine what it is.”

“Could it be going to something akin to your Strength of a Hundred Seal?” Kakashi asked. 

“I’ve considered the possibility that he’s done something to himself that forces his body to passively collect chakra over time into _something_ , but I haven’t been able to locate any such thing.  If it is some sort of seal – Minato, you should take a look at him while he’s out of it.” She shamelessly suggested, and then muttered, “Less chance of the brat hiding anything that way.”

“Perhaps while I do that, you should talk to Orochimaru.” Minato added. Tsunade shot him a hard look. “He knows something. At the very least he _thinks_ he knows something. He only gives me half answers and riddles that lead nowhere.”

“And you think _I_ can make him talk?” Tsunade asked dryly. “When he gets all evasive on me I usually just sock him in the face or threaten to have Jiraiya work with him on something.”

Minato tapped his arm as he rewound their earlier conversation through his mind. “If anyone can get him to talk, it’s you, Tsunade.  He knows something and my patience is very quickly expiring. I can only hope Naruto-kun is more cooperative than he is after he wakes up.”

Tsunade’s mouth flattened into a thin line. “Do you really think he’s involved in any of this?”

“He accused Orochimaru of having the Rinnegan before he teleported away. And before that, he told Jiraiya to watch out for anyone who had eyes that looked like the Rinnegan. Orochimaru has stayed _especially_ tight lipped on that subject. There’s also the curious fact that Naruto-kun appears to be much more skilled than he’s led us to believe.” He held a hand over the bruise on his chest. “I truly hope he is not involved in the murders, but I’m not going to ignore the fact that he’s been hiding things from us. I’m afraid I can’t give him a pass on withholding information about himself any longer.”

“Hmph,” was all Tsunade had to say on the matter. “I suppose I’ll go bash Orochimaru around until he spills something worthwhile. And you –” She turned a heated glare at Itachi sitting inconspicuously in the corner. “You should still be resting.”

“I’m in the hospital.” Itachi reminded, and pointed at Kakashi with his unbound arm. “But _he_ should be teaching his genin team.”

Kakashi scratched the back of his head and looked out the window. “They’re out there – somewhere. Probably.”

“You three are the most miserable and useless bunch of shinobi I’ve ever met.” She huffed, turning on her heel and storming out of the room. The three men watched her go.

Once she was out of range Minato grumbled, “I’d like to see _her_ take a hit from someone as strong as herself.”

Kakashi shivered. “Sensei, she may be gone, but she’s _always_ listening.”

Minato sulked a little before turning his attention to Itachi. “How _are_ you feeling now?”

Tired of the question, Itachi sighed. “Recovering.”

Minato winced. “I suppose I should be grateful he didn’t break my sternum.” And he _was_ grateful. He glanced at Itachi. He’d never seen Itachi in such a sorry state before – as practiced as Itachi was in combat, _genjutsu_ was his art – and he was its master. Minato couldn’t remember the last time someone got close enough to Itachi to deal a hit, let alone break bone.  Minato could relate. He’d allowed himself to become defined by his speed and skill with the Hiraishin. Naruto had effortlessly reminded both of them that relying on a single strength requires an opponent to find only one weakness to claim victory.

He considered Itachi again, and figured perhaps it applied more to himself. Itachi’s skills were very well rounded; he simply resorted to genjutsu to avoid hurting people. Minato, on the other hand, he’d let himself become too comfortable with fuinjutsu. He was proficient in other skills, of course, but over the years he’d adapted them to be used in conjunction with the Hiraishin – against Naruto’s Fuinjutsu Null Field, his own carefully honed instincts would be his downfall.

Fitting, that it would be an Uzumaki to shake the confidence he had in his skill. He wondered if Itachi was experiencing the same self-doubt in relation to his genjutsu. After a quick glance at Itachi, it was clear that his mind was elsewhere. Overall, he wasn’t badly wounded, but if Itachi had one true weakness that all the strength in the world couldn’t protect him from – it was his own mind. And Itachi was his own worst enemy.

He could lock himself away in there, Minato knew, and it would take a lot to drag him back out. He had hoped the friendship between Itachi and Naruto would break down some of the barriers Itachi hid from the world behind, and perhaps it had for a while. He looked at Itachi: the resigned slump of his shoulders, the lost look in his eyes.

Maybe Naruto broke down too many of his barriers.

Minato was aware he’d let down too many of his own.

“Although I haven’t fought Naruto-kun myself, I’m under the impression I’d want to avoid such a thing.” Kakashi deducted. He received twin looks of irritation.

“Given the trouble I had against his _delusional_ _clone_ , I’d say that would be a wise decision. Can’t even imagine what I’d be up against in a real fight – especially if he pulls out another Null Field. If he can target one type of chakra, I imagine he could target any type – and with his apparent skill in taijutsu that could give him a very large advantage in just about any fight.”

“Maybe we should keep Gai on standby in case he goes AWOL again.” Kakashi blandly suggested.

“It won’t be necessary.” Itachi spoke up. “He’ll cooperate.  He owes me that much.” Itachi muttered sullenly.  Kakashi and Minato exchanged glances.

Minato gave Itachi a questioning look. “Forgive me for asking again, but are you sure you’re alright? You’re not quite acting like yourself.” Kakashi shifted where he stood, the way a child does when they know something and _really_ want to tell everyone with ears, but can’t at penalty of being sent to the corner. Minato felt an oncoming headache.

“You mean he’s acting like the moody teenager he really is deep inside?” Kakashi asked after an inner battle.

“As a matter of fact, he’s reminding me of _you_ when you were a teenager.” Minato retorted.

“The horror.” Kakashi deadpanned.  Itachi attempted to look offended, but with the cast on his arm, cuts lining his face, and the lack of sleep darkening his eyes, he just looked pitiful.

“I was just trying to figure something out.” Itachi mumbled. “When he went to attack me – before I managed the genjutsu, his eyes and chakra were red.”

Minato leaned back against Tsunade’s desk. “Strange.” He said after a pause. “If it’s been five years since his extraction – There shouldn’t still be traces of the bijuu’s chakra within him.”

“There’s no chance of it being anything else?” Kakashi asked.

“Red chakra? No, not that I’ve ever seen. That’s always been an indicator of a Jinchurinki. Perhaps I should take a look at Naruto-kun for any hidden seals, after all. Other than that, Itachi, did Naruto-kun say anything to you? The more we know, the easier we’ll be able to get him to talk.”

“Not much.” Itachi offered. “He said something about Sasuke forgiving me for the massacre and Kabuto using the Edo Tensei. He also said something about saving me and that he knew I was being controlled. Nothing that made much sense.”

Minato stepped away from the desk. “He accused me of being controlled as well. He also brought up the Edo Tensei.” He stopped suddenly as he thought to himself.

“Was there something else?” Kakashi asked. Minato’s eyes sharpened.

“Two things. He said Itachi died seven years ago, which very likely was just an overlapping memory, but still odd enough to remember. He also –” Minato crossed his arms as his brows furrowed. “Naruto-kun never knew his parents, correct?”

“He told me they died the day he was born.” Itachi confirmed. Minato’s eyes shifted sightlessly.

“Odd. He called me ‘ _Dad_ ’ when he first saw me. I could understand that if he’d currently been experiencing a memory featuring his father, but as that’s not the case…”

“Sensei –” Kakashi hesitantly began. “You must have noticed by that the two of you share a resemblance.” Minato frowned slightly, as though he honestly hadn’t noticed. “When you showed up, it might have just been the first thing to pop into his head.”

“I suppose you’re right. He very well could have been living through a memory when he was longing for a family.” Minato spoke softly. He sighed and continued walking towards the door.

“What were you thinking when he said it?” Kakashi asked.

Minato reached for the doorknob and grimaced.

“I thought, ‘If you were twelve years younger.’ “

 

* * *

 

 

A warm breeze coursed past him from where he sat at his spot atop of the Hokage Mountain. He wore the orange and black jumpsuit Jiraiya bought him, possibly his favorite thing he’s ever owned. He smiled down at the village bustling with life beneath him. Someone sat down next to him.

“Itachi?” Naruto asked, surprised, as he turned his head. A dark brow raised skeptically on a forehead.

“Really, Naruto?”

“Oops.” Naruto grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. The two of you really do look a lot alike.”

Sasuke shook his head and leaned back on his arms, preferring to look at the stars overhead. The village hadn’t been his home in a very long time.

“You should tell them the truth.” Sasuke said, almost forebodingly. Naruto sneezed.

“Tell who what?” He asked, confused, while rubbing his nose. Sasuke looked at him from the corner of his eye.

“Itachi.” Sasuke said, the single name causing more emotion to pass through Sasuke’s eyes than Naruto usually sees in a year. “The Yondaime, Kakashi-sensei.” He continued. “All of them. You’re doing yourself more harm than good at this point keeping everything to yourself.”   

Reality seemed to cram itself back into Naruto’s skull as he remembered bits and pieces of where he really was. He clenched his jaw.

“What if they don’t believe me?” Naruto asked, uncertainly. “That would just make things worse.”

“Things can’t really get much worse for you right now.” Sasuke said wryly. “If I were there with you, you wouldn’t be in half the amount of trouble you’re in right now.”

“You’re right.” Naruto admitted. “We’d be in _twice_ the trouble.” Sasuke laughed – the free sort of laugh people who _didn’t_ hate themselves laughed. Naruto’s eyes widened as he burned the rare moment to memory.

“Yeah.” Sasuke said, leaning forward and wiping at one of his eyes. “You’re right. I probably would have just killed everyone I hated and we’d both be S-rank missing nin.  But at least I’d make sure the Rinnegan and Edo Tensei never got used.”

Naruto shook his head, the corners of his mouth upturned. “The two of us are kind of useless together _and_ apart, aren’t we?”

“Shikamaru used to call us enablers.” Sasuke drawled. “He said we always had each other’s backs even when we should have been knocking some sense into each other. Guess he was right.”

“Shikamaru’s always right.” Naruto said pointedly. “It’s _really_ annoying. But we spent enough years knocking _nonsense_ into each other, so I guess it was an improvement at the very least.” Sasuke shook his head, an echo of laughter still lingering on his face.

“You should tell them.” He said again. Naruto fell back and looked at the stars stretching out above him.

“What if they don’t believe me?” Naruto asked. “ _Oh, Minato-san, by the way – I’m your son_. Yeah, that’ll end well.”

“They already think you’re insane, might as well go the full run.” Sasuke so very helpfully advised. Naruto kicked him. “Or you could just conveniently leave out that part. Just say you’re from an alternate dimension, leave out the time travel bit. That sounds stupid enough on its own, it might work.”

Naruto watched a shooting star skip across the sky.

“Sasuke, why are you in my head?” He asked somberly.

“Why are you _letting_ me in your head?” Sasuke asked. Naruto had nothing to say to that. The eclipsed moon overhead passed by slowly, yet too quickly. “Naruto,” Sasuke said as the world became a little less distinct around them. “Be careful.” At Naruto curious glance, he continued. “When it comes to certain things, my brother is as stupid as you are.”

“What?” Naruto asked, watching as the stars blurred together.

“You’ll remember later.” Sasuke said and then amended, “Maybe.”

“But wait, did you just insult Itachi?” Naruto said in disbelief, his own words beginning to sound small to his ears.

“We all have our flaws.” Sasuke said while making a face. His features began to dissolve into the black sky framing him. “Remember, dumbass. There’s only one thing we _have_ to do in life. Everything else is a choice.”

“What?” Naruto asked, the world folding into itself around him.

“Don’t feel obligated to be unhappy.”

_We’ve both done enough of that._

 

* * *

 

 

He could feel pressure against his wrists, something pinning his useless arms down. Something brushed against his forehead, but it wasn’t painful. He didn’t really feel much of anything at all, to be honest.

He couldn’t see anything. He figured that meant something, but he couldn’t remember what.   

Oh, right. Eyes. They generally needed to be open to see things. He forced them apart, the world a meaningless blur around him. He wondered if he needed glasses. He’d look good in glasses. People might mistake him for being smart until he started talking.

A dark blur moved around him. He tried to follow it, but it made him feel dizzy, so he closed his eyes again.

“Naruto-kun.” He heard. He tried to speak, but it was hard. Words kept switching around in his head and trying to focus on just one required too much effort. He made a vague noise instead. He heard talking again, but the voices seemed to overlap and he couldn’t make out what was being said. He figured that was probably bad. He forced his eyes open again; the world was slightly sharper than it was before. A figure loomed over him.

“Itachi?” Naruto guessed, squinting his eyes. When blonde hair came into focus he winced and said, “Not Itachi.”

“Not Itachi,” the voice confirmed.  Minato stared down at him, his face unreadable. “I apologize for waking you up, Naruto-kun. I was checking your seal.”

Naruto made another vague noise as he closed his eyes. “S’fine. Seal is – seal’s fine. What seal?” He scrunched his face. His hair itched at his forehead. He heard movement from behind Minato.

“Do you have any other seals on you than the one that allows you to control your chakra?” Minato asked. Naruto hummed as he thought about it, trying to bring a hand up to brush away his irritating hair.

“Shouldn’t be.” He answered, still yanking at his wrist. Someone released whatever was holding his wrist down and he brushed his hair out of his face. “Kurama’s seal’s been gone a long time.”

“Kurama?”

“Yeah. I miss him.” He sighed, opening his eyes again. Minato was still blurry, but Naruto could see that he looked tired. Naruto was tired too. “I think I need glasses.” Naruto confided. “I told Sasuke all the seal making in dark caves would ruin my eyes, but he’d just set something nearby on fire for light and tell me to stop whining or he’d set my head on fire too.  I’m _pretty sure_ he knew that would be counterproductive, though. Sasuke would look stupid in glasses.”

Something that looked almost like amusement passed over Minato’s face, but was quickly overturned.

“Is he on drugs?” Kakashi’s dull voice floated over to him.

“I don’t _think_ so.” Minato doubtfully responded. Naruto heard something being grabbed.

“Oxycodone.” Itachi said. Naruto had no idea what that word meant. Maybe he misheard. Then again, Itachi liked using words Naruto couldn’t understand.

“Looks like Tsunade-san has a soft spot for Naruto-kun, after all. I don’t think she’s ever given _me_ painkillers.” Kakashi grumbled.

 “Well, I suppose it’s convenient for us. Naruto-kun, do you remember what happened?” Minato asked.

“I remember a lot of things, what happened possibly being one of them. Which happening are you referring to?” Naruto scratched at his memory and wondered how long he’d been asleep. “Sasuke told me to tell you something, but I don’t remember what. Gimme a sec.” Naruto glared upwards, trying to channel his Inner Sasuke.

“You snuck into Orochimaru’s office. Do you remember that?” Minato asked.

“Hmm. Oh, yeah. The creepy bastard’s definitely up to something! I bet he knows what happened to Danzo, probably did it himself. I’ve gotta head over there but Sasuke keeps following me. _Both_ of them.” He mumbled, trying to turn on his side, but his _other_ wrist was being difficult now. He petulantly turned on his other side instead and yawned loudly. “Can’t remember what Sasuke said…” He mumbled.

“Naruto-kun, if you suspected Orochimaru of something, why didn’t you tell anyone?”

Naruto curled into himself. “Who’d believe me?” He mumbled and fell asleep. Kakashi tapped the side of his head to make sure he was actually asleep. Naruto smacked his lips and hugged his pillow to his chest.

“Well, he has a point.” Kakashi said after a moment. Minato gave Kakashi a hard look. Kakashi watched as Itachi unstrapped Naruto’s other wrist and sat down in one of the chairs next to the bed. “Were the restraints necessary? It’s not like they’d actually be able to hold him if he wanted to leave.”

“No, someone put those on him when he hit a nurse in his sleep.” Itachi answered. Kakashi made a motion that might have signified understanding or that he had an itch. Itachi didn’t dwell on it.

Minato glanced over Naruto before shaking his head. “Other than the seal on his arm and the Hiraishin seal I slapped on him in case he decided he’d rather high tail it out of here _–_ there’s nothing that I can see.”

And then there was an explosion from the Research Institute.

“Itachi – Stay here.” Minato tersely instructed as he and Kakashi vanished from sight. Itachi, half-way out of his chair, stood awkwardly as adrenaline drowned his fatigued system. Unsure of himself, he fell back into the chair and listened for any indication of battle.

“Oh yeah!” Naruto slurred out, likely awoken by the noise. “Sasuke said _not_ to tell you about the time travelling!” Stunned, Itachi stared. Naruto smiled proudly and blinked dopey blue eyes. “He said it was okay to tell you about the alternate dimension part though. Because I’m dumb, I think he said.” Naruto’s head flopped back down and he buried his face into the pillow.

With wide eyes, Itachi continued staring.

 

* * *

 

Minato and Kakashi appeared in Orochimaru’s office just as Tsunade prepared to charge at a figure already fleeing the ravaged remains of the building around them. Minato placed a halting hand on her shoulder as his shadow clone and Kakashi sprinted ahead, several of Minato’s kunai in hand. Anbu and other nearby shinobi sprung up behind him and around their target with the intention of entrapping them.

Tsunade shot Minato a nasty glare as she shrugged off his hand and rushed towards an incapacitated Orochimaru.

“What happened?” Minato asked as she evaluated his condition.

“After running a few errands I came to talk to him, like you asked.” She answered distractedly, running a chakra infused hand over him. “The – whoever it was – was standing over him here. It looked like Orochimaru might have been under a genjutsu, but I’m not sure. He’s definitely been poisoned with something. I need Shizune stat _here_!” Tsunade broadcasted loudly as a crowd of researchers bustled in around the door. They barely glanced at the scene before immediately dispersing to find Shizune. “How the _hell_ did they manage to get in here? How’d they manage to pull one over _Orochimaru_?”

She pulled him off the ground, and it was then Minato fully took in the state the man was in. His skin seemed to bubble and ripple before stabilizing and repeating the process over again. He twitched violently, a sickening _pop_ of bone disjointing itself cracked through the room. Tsunade’s grim face remained unchanged as she hefted him over to the fortunately undamaged laboratory. Minato followed her.

“Before you ask, I didn’t get a good look at them. Once I opened the door, they made a run for it.”

“And then you took out half of the office.” Minato summarized. He looked at the missing wall and looked down at the unoccupied office below. Tsunade set Orochimaru down on the operating table.

“What I lack in the accuracy of my overall attacks, I make up for in the ability to _not_ sever your vital organs during surgery.”

“Point taken.” Minato said, casting a wary glance in the direction his clone and Kakashi ran off to.

They both startled as Orochimaru wheezed when some measure of cognizance fought its way out. “Rin – Rinnegan.” He exhaled, before convulsing again. Being the professional she was, Tsunade didn’t so much as pause what she was doing.

“Get the hell out of here, Minato. You’re of no use to me. Go catch the son of a bitch that did this.” Minato took a long look at the agitated form of Orochimaru before stepping out next to Kakashi.

 

* * *

 

 

When Naruto finally did wake up it was to an unreadable face staring at him from the corner of the room.

Groggily, Naruto asked, “Itachi?”

 Itachi stood up and took a few brisk steps to Naruto’s side. Naruto tried to smile up at him, but upon noticing his condition and the less than friendly expression adorning his face, he winced and bit his lip.

“Time travelling?” Was the first thing out of Itachi’s mouth.

_Oh no. Oh nonononononoo_ – Naruto’s mind went as he blanked out and stared absently at Itachi.

“ _Alternate dimension?_ ” Itachi said, a tad bit more emphatically. Naruto pulled the hospital bed covers over his head. Itachi effortlessly yanked them off with his useable arm. He reached for Naruto, who chose to tumble off the side of the bed than face Itachi’s apparent wrath. He took a pillow down with him under the cot and shoved his head under it.

The perfect hiding spot.

Unfortunately he severely underestimated Itachi’s terribly unfortunate condition of having eyes and was yanked right back out. Naruto was now beginning to understand this was one conversation he could not possibly jump high enough away from to escape its gravitational pull and drift off into space. Or under the bed, he guessed.

“I can explain!” Naruto fearfully shouted as Itachi heaved him off the floor. “Don’t be mad at me!” His vision swam precariously in front of him.

“I’m not mad at you.” The two Itachis serenely explained.

“Then why are you grabbing me and looking at me with a very obvious I Am Mad At Naruto face?” He asked. The two Itachis in his vision slowly flattened together. His head felt fuzzy, which he was certain was a really bad thing considering his brain had the nasty habit of not working properly to begin with.

“Because you hid under the bed and I’d prefer not to talk to an empty mattress.” Itachi answered evenly, still very clearly mad at Naruto. “Explain.”

Naruto futilely looked around for an escape. He saw a blurry and very smug Not-Sasuke leaning against the wall by the window. He shot him a scathing and possibly cross-eyed glare.

“I’m – I’m – I’m totally insane.” He said. An unimpressed pair of eyes bored into his skull. “That’s not even a lie! I see my dead best friend over by the window right now!” He pointed emphatically at the empty space by the window. “So anything I might have said about alternate dimensions or, uh, time travel – just uh, you might want to pretend you never heard anything. Because I am clearly insane.”

Naruto suddenly wished for the ability to time travel right out of this moment forever.

“No.” Itachi said plaintively. “No, it’s true, isn’t it?” Naruto winced. “I’ve had a while to think it over and everything makes sense.  You’re _Uzumaki Naruto_. You’re _Sasuke’s_ best friend. You have Yondaime-sama’s face, Kushina-san’s hair, your parents died the day you were born, the _Kyuubi_ was sealed into you the day you were born – you know too much about the Sharingan, about _my_ eyes –” Itachi came to an abrupt halt as he came to a realization. “You already knew me, before we even met, you knew me.”

“Not – not exactly.” Naruto stammered, figuring denial at this point wasn’t going to help anything. “Itachi, I’m from a _very_ different world.” And if the reality of the situation hadn’t sunk into Itachi’s brain earlier, it did at that sentence. His eyes widened and he loosened his grip on Naruto’s collar. “I met the other you twice _years_ ago – and we didn’t exactly stop for ramen.”

“In Kumo – you said Sasuke forgave me for the massacre.” Itachi breathed out.

“When did we go to Kumo?” Naruto detracted worriedly. “Actually, why am I in the hospital? Itachi, what happened to you?”

Itachi’s eyes flitted anxiously between Naruto’s, evaluating him. Apparently satisfied with whatever he found he released the hold he had on Naruto and took a step back.

“You don’t remember.” Itachi stated.

“I am very, very confused right now.” Naruto confessed, falling back down to sit on the bed. He ran a shaky hand through his hair. “Itachi – Don’t tell Minato-san about this.” He pleaded. Itachi tried to frown, but shock still controlled his features.

“I have to tell him, he’s the Hokage. Naruto – you’re his _son_.”

“That’s exactly why you can’t tell him!” Naruto argued.

“You’re his _family_ , he thought he lost his family years ago.”

“He _did_ lose his family. If you tell him who I am, do you think he’s just suddenly going to recover from that? All he’ll see is a shadow of the family he could have had – and never will.”

Itachi took in a sharp breath as his eyes widened even further.

The door opened and the Yondaime strode in, looking ten years older than he did a few hours ago.

“Yondaime-sama, Naruto’s – ”

Panicked, Naruto jumped up from the hospital bed and slapped a hand over Itachi’s mouth from behind him, making a loud drawn out hushing sound. Exasperated, Itachi pried at Naruto’s arm to no avail. Naruto wrapped his other arm around Itachi and they both fell over as Itachi tried to take a step back and tripped over Naruto’s legs.

Minato watched with dull amazement as the two jounin level shinobi fought a battle of heroic proportions. There were chokeholds under the bed and hair pulling when Itachi made a grab for the stray TV remote lying on the floor. Finally, Itachi feigned being hurt and Naruto guiltily backed off, only to realize his mistake when Itachi kicked him in the face and opened his mouth to spill all of Naruto’s secrets, the tattletale. Naruto really wouldn’t have pegged him as the sort, but he supposed Minato _was_ the Hokage, so he could forgive Itachi this time.

That didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to stop him.

With all of the strength and agility Naruto could gather, he threw himself at Itachi and yet again slapped a hand over Itachi’s mouth, only to immediately withdraw it.

“Itachi, gross! Did you just lick my hand?”

“You left me no other option, Naruto.” Itachi said, scooting backwards on the floor.

“Um.” Minato said, still standing at the door. “What exactly is going on here?”

“Minato-san!” Naruto shouted. “Don’t listen to Itachi! He’s crazy! He licked my hand!” Naruto shoved his hand out in Minato’s direction as evidence. Itachi sent Naruto a flat look.

“Yondaime-sama.” Itachi started, yet again.

“Itachi! No!” Naruto shouted, sounding pathetic enough to give Itachi pause. He looked at Naruto, whose eyes were widened in genuine panic as they flickered between the Yondaime and Itachi. Itachi’s resolve faltered.

“Itachi?” The Yondaime prompted.

Itachi sighed. “I think Naruto should be the one to tell you.” The Yondaime crossed his arms and gave Naruto a pointed look. Naruto shrunk under the stare, experiencing for the first time in his life what paternal disapproval felt like. Itachi awkwardly stood up, running a hand through his now mussed and untied hair. “Naruto, it will _help_ you.”

Naruto sat cross legged on the floor, studiously avoiding anyone’s eyes. “Why am I even in the hospital?” Naruto unskillfully redirected. “I am so confused.”

“Orochimaru found you hovering over the dead body of Yakushi Kabuto in his lab and poisoned you with a neurological toxin that forced you to experience a flood of memories. While under the influence, you teleported to a cave in Kumo to which we were able to track you by the very lucky guess that you would return to where your group died.” Minato concisely reiterated.

Naruto gaped.

“Yeah, I think it’s coming back to me now.” It wasn’t.  “No, sorry, that was a lie. But I do remember sneaking off to investigate Orochimaru so I’ll take your word for it.” He flopped back under the bed. “Ugh, I’m in so much trouble, aren’t I?”

“That depends entirely on you, Naruto-kun.” Minato said, not unkindly.

“That just confirms I’m in so much trouble.” Naruto grumbled from where he was half-hidden.

“Yondaime-sama, Naruto’s innocent.” Itachi stated. “He doesn’t have any connection with _anything_ that’s been going on; not now or in the past.”

“That’s a bold statement, Itachi.” Minato said. “What exactly did he say that brought you to that conclusion?”

Itachi turned an intimidating stare at Naruto. Naruto fidgeted where he was still sitting on the floor.

“I, uh. I – well. Ahem.” Naruto started whistling.

Minato sighed, a tired and barely formed smile stirred on his face and he shook his head. “Alright. If Itachi’s convinced, that’s good enough for this precise moment. However, there are other things I need to know about _right now_. Specifically, the Rinnegan.”

Naruto’s anxiety instantaneously dissolved into rapt concentration.

“What happened?” Itachi asked, having nearly forgotten the explosion in the shock of finally figuring out the bizarre truth behind Naruto.

“Our killer came back, decided to try for Orochimaru. We have a trail this time.”

 

* * *

 

From his desk, Minato watched Itachi fidget in his seat, casting surreptitious glances at Naruto, whose half-lidded eyes and tendency to droop over gave away his current state of mind. Minato wondered how much of the drugs were still in his system. Tsunade sent the both of her patients critical looks, as though she’d much rather see them unconscious. Itachi attempted to maintain some sort of refinement, but after witnessing his wrestling match with Naruto earlier, Minato was simply reminded that Itachi was still very young.

_Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that_ , he thought with an ounce of shame.

Itachi’s words before he left to find Naruto flashed through his mind and he couldn’t help but wonder about the true extent of their relationship.  With a glance at the photograph on his desk, he figured it simply wasn’t the time.

There was too much happening at once. The arrival of Naruto, bloody and traceless. The death of Danzo, cold and clinical. The meaningless death of Kabuto, ironic in its nature.

Minato thought he had his hands full when he was simply looking into his wife’s death with new eyes and inspiration. Now he had possible missing Jinchurinki, an additional two murders and an attempted one sitting on his table. And if anything Orochimaru hinted to Itachi and Minato about was relevant – it was likely all connected.

He came back to attention as the clone he had out with Kakashi dispelled itself.

“We lost the trail.” Minato said, with no small amount of anger.

“Keh.” Tsunade scoffed. “If you’d have let me go after them, there’d be nothing _left_ for you to track.”

Minato shook his head. “You needed to see after Orochimaru.”

“That snake was fine. He’s done enough modifications to himself to survive being shoved through a meat grinder. Some shoddy assassin could hardly get the better of him.”

“That same _shoddy assassin_ killed Danzo with barely a second thought.”

“Danzo was an overconfident fool who didn’t see it coming. Orochimaru might be an _arrogant_ fool, but he recognizes his own mortality. He is, by his very nature, a coward. It’s why he’s so damned hard to kill. The only person who’s ever going to kill Orochimaru is Orochimaru.” She paused. “Or me, if he pisses me off enough.” She corrected.

“When’s he going to wake up?” Minato asked.

Tsunade shrugged. “That implies that he’s been asleep. He’s been in and out of consciousness the entire time, mumbling nonsense. I managed to isolate the poison this time; I have Shizune going over it now. It’s not the same poison they must have been using before, however. This one seems to have been designed specifically with Orochimaru in mind. It’s relentlessly tearing him apart from the inside out, barely giving his body a chance to stabilize itself. I can tell you it wasn’t created with the intention of killing him quickly.”

“You said you didn’t get a good look at them.”

“No, they were masked and modestly dressed. If I went with my instincts I would say it was a woman, but it could have been a young man. I didn’t stop to appreciate them before taking out Orochimaru’s office. You showed up right after that. “

Minato ruffled his own hair in frustration. “If we had just _one_ thing. Just one – we could go off of that.” Tsunade’s expression turned troubled as her eyes flickered over to Itachi. Minato followed her gaze in confusion. “Tsunade…” He trailed off in warning.

“It could have been a trick of the light – I don’t know.” Tsunade started. “But for a split second I could have sworn I saw the Sharingan.” This got everyone’s attention. Even Naruto broke out of his half-coma as he turned to gawp at her. “And I’m not talking about the _normal_ Sharingan.”

Itachi wore a perplexed expression. “Kakashi-san and I are currently the only ones with evolved Sharingan, Tsunade-sama.” Naruto’s head darted back and forth between Itachi and Tsunade as his face turned a peculiar shade of puce.

“Well, I did say I only thought I saw it.” Tsunade rebuffed.

“You said you _could have sworn_.” Minato pointed out. “How often do you see things due to a trick of the light?”

Tsunade’s mouth turned down as she chose not to answer. Minato looked at Naruto. Upon noticing this, Naruto froze and plastered a bewildered smile on his face. Minato could hardly believe Naruto managed to keep _anything_ at all a secret. With a considering glance at Itachi, he figured he really didn’t. He continued watching Naruto as he fidgeted under his gaze.

Naruto still had a lot to make up for.

“Naruto-kun.” Minato said pleasantly. “Is something wrong?”

Naruto laughed nervously. “No – no. Nothing wrong! I was just, uh, remembering. Yeah, I was remembering! I fought against Itachi, didn’t I? When I was poisoned. I remember the Sharingan.”

It was Itachi’s turn to freeze. Minato watched curiously as Itachi’s face went from blind panic to indifferent in record speed.

“Yes. After he injected you with the antidote, you attacked him until he put you under a genjutsu.”

Naruto flinched. “I broke your arm.” He looked apologetically at Itachi’s cast. “I –” He stuttered a few times as he seemed to remember something. He blinked several times as his jaw fell open. Itachi remained suspiciously still.  

Kakashi appeared next to the Yondaime.  

“Pakkun and the other trackers are still searching, but I don’t think there’s much hope for picking up the trail again. Whoever it is, they’re definitely familiar with evading capture.” Kakashi grumbled. “How is Orochimaru-san?”

“Alive. How could you have possibly lost the trail in the first place?” Tsunade scolded, taking a few threatening steps in his direction.

“Tsunade.” The Yondaime admonished. “There were a lot of us out there. We _all_ failed.” Kakashi looked pointedly away from her.

“I see Naruto-kun is back with us.” Kakashi banally detoured. “Have you had the interrogation yet?”

Naruto’s head slowly turned away from Itachi, although his eyes didn’t move until they had no choice. He stared blankly at Kakashi.

“Apparently Itachi managed to crack Naruto while he was still drugged up.” Minato answered after Naruto showed no signs of replying. “Whatever Naruto said convinced Itachi that he’s not involved in the murders. I was planning on getting details after we’ve wrapped up this situation as much as we could.” He added, “Tsunade thinks the assailant might have had a Mangekyou Sharingan.”

Itachi stood up. “I’ll inform my father. We’ll get a count of every Uchiha currently within the village and check to see if anyone’s been withholding the status of their Sharingan.”

“Thank you, Itachi.”

“Wait – wait. Itachi.” Naruto said. Itachi stopped, but didn’t turn around. “No, I mean, you should go, but maybe you could send a clone or keep one here? I, uh, know some things that _might_ be able to help if-if the Sharingan or the Rinnegan are involved, but I think I have to explain myself first.”

Itachi did turn around then, as something not _quite_ relief showed on his face. Naruto gave Itachi a confused look before turning to face Minato. He schooled his expression into a look of grim determination that lost its muster when he met Minato’s eyes.

His eyes darted around anxiously as if trying to find someone else in the room, before giving up and settling on Minato.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, guys. This chapter wanted to be like twice as long as it is, so forgive me if it seems choppy anywhere. I quite literally chopped it. I might edit it another day to make it, I dunno, flow better. Sorry I ended it where I did, too. If I kept going from there it would have added on an extra 2k words, so I figured it would be better to use it as a transition into the next chapter. AO3 keeps telling me brevity is the soul of wit, but I guess I just don't have any wit. More details on Orochimaru and the escape next chapter! Now that Naruto's conscious and they've failed yet again to capture this dude despite catching them in the act, no one's in a good mood and they're not going to be very lenient with Naruto no matter how much chakra he puts into the puppy eyes skill!
> 
> Next time on Dragon Ball Z! Uh, I mean, whatever this is: Will Naruto tell the truth about himself or will he back out? Make up a really stupid lie? Listen to Not-Sasuke? Will Itachi spill the beans or go along with Naruto? Will Itachi ever get a decent night's sleep? (No) What are the stupid genin doing without Kakashi's much unneeded guidance? Who is this Sharingan person running around killing people? Blame Sasuke. Blame him for everything. But man, you guys should have figured out at least one thing this chapter. 
> 
> Thanks for the comments and kudos! (I'm glad my sleep deprived nights aren't going to complete waste.)


	11. Righteous Rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Explanations are hard.

Naruto’s tongue felt as useless as coal sitting in his mouth. His stomach churned as he repeated the words he needed to say in his head. Simple words in a simple sentence that had the weight of the life he left behind condensed into it.

Words used to be so easy.

His friends never had to make him talk before. His mouth would open irresponsibly and words would spill out all on their own.

Well, his mouth was open now, but the words stuck in his head conspiring with his tongue to be of no use whatsoever.

Words didn’t used to be so heavy.

He slumped over as a wave of nausea passed over him. He smiled grimly, bringing a hand to his mouth to cover it.

He thought of and envied Gaara, who never spoke carelessly and could say exactly what needed to be said in any situation, no matter how unpleasant.

“You’re too quiet.” Gaara said from his side. Naruto snapped his head over in surprise. They sat outside the cave they hid in, their last line of defense against the world.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t see you there.” Naruto flashed a weak smile at his friend. Gaara tilted his head and scrutinized Naruto.

“Sasuke’s been declining long term missions.” Gaara informed Naruto in his no-nonsense voice.

Naruto blinked. “What? And you’ve been letting him? I thought you hated him!” Gaara crossed his arms and leaned back, staring at the bend of the mountain in front of him.

“I’m… not fond of him.” He admitted. “But he’s important to you. And you’re important to him.”

“I’m not seeing how that relates to him declining long term missions.” Naruto said wryly, trying to wipe away the shadows under his eyes.

“You haven’t been taking care of yourself.” Gaara stated, staring directly at him. Naruto grimaced and looked down. “He’s the one that made you take a break from work, isn’t he?” Naruto rubbed the back of his neck guiltily. “You listen to him.” The _you don’t listen to me_ , went unsaid.

“Sasuke would disagree with you there.” Naruto said pedantically. “But anyways – I’m almost done. I just _know_ it. When I’m finished I can take as many breaks as I need. Maybe even a long term _forever_ break. I’ll let you guys handle the saving the world part while I eat ramen and sleep all day.”

“You would deserve it.” Gaara said, smiling lightly. He looked up. “I want to see the sun.” He confided. “Not the cold sun of the mountains – the real sun blazing down on the sands of the Wind Country. When I die, I want to be under that sun – not the lifeless rock of this cave.”

“Hey! This cave is far from lifeless!” Naruto protested. “There’s plenty of, uh, mold, yeah. And mushrooms, don’t forget those things! We’ve kinda been living off of them.” He grinned brightly at Gaara’s drier than usual look. “But yeah, I’m not the biggest fan of the heat, but even I would gladly spend a day roasting directly under the sun in Suna right now.” He bumped his shoulder against Gaara’s. “And we can be doing exactly that, any day now!”

Something in Gaara’s posture seemed to relax. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you smile like that. Maybe even more than the sun, I’d like to see the free sort of optimism you’ve always had again.” Naruto’s grin waned slightly as he let out a long breath.

“That might be asking for too much, Gaara.”

Gaara shook his head. “Like the sun’s heat, your optimism may be weakened – but it will only die with you. You will always have friends to help you find it again.”

“Naruto.” Minato’s worried voice broke through as two worlds crashed into each other.

Disoriented, Naruto looked up. A hand on his shoulder kept him from tipping over.

“Gaara?” He asked. A smaller hand found his other shoulder as Tsunade examined him. Naruto snapped back to attention. “I drifted off there for a second, didn’t I?” He forced a laugh as he brought a hand over his eyes.

“How are you feeling?” Tsunade asked. “The sedatives shouldn’t be affecting you too much anymore – but you might be experiencing some side effects from the toxin.”

“No, no.” Naruto waved off. “I’m fine. I was just – remembering something.” Tsunade frowned, but released her hold. The other hand on his shoulder didn’t move. “I’ve been really unfair to everyone, haven’t I? For a _long_ time...” He mumbled. “I guess it’s sort of been embedded in me to treat everyone as a potential enemy even when I know that’s not true. I spent a long time having very few people I could trust.” He kept his eyes on the floor, something he knew wouldn’t weaken his resolve. The hand on his shoulder tightened slightly as he leaned into it. “Do you know the best way to win a battle? To win a war?” Naruto suddenly asked.

Kakashi's attention drifted to the Yondaime whose eyes donned a steely glint at the unexpected question.

“Resources.” Minato answered simply and without a hint of doubt in his voice. “The side with more resources always wins – if you manage to cut off the enemy's access to resources – what they need to stay alive, to keep fighting: you've won the war.”

Naruto smiled bitterly as he looked back down at the floor. “Resources, yeah, those are definitely important. We didn't have them, that's for sure.” His laugh was as dead as the look in his eye. “I guess we should have known from the start we were on the losing side.”

“Naruto-kun,” Minato said, almost apologetically.

Naruto held up a hand before he could continue speaking.

“That wasn't the exact answer I was looking for, though. There's something that underlies even that. Fear – fear is what wins a war. Whoever can scare the other side into giving up first. Fear of death, fear of starvation, fear of losing everything and everyone you have – It's easy enough to ignore at first, to shove it aside and think of your future win – but when time goes on and hope abandons you, fear is all you have left. It's funny how fear can be both the thing that destroys you and keeps you alive. It's funny how we ever thought we could win against an enemy that wasn't actually capable of fear.

“ _There's always hope!_ People would say at first. It was easy enough to believe. Of _course_ there was hope; we still had villages, friends, family. But villages burn and people die. Eventually their hopes dwindled and ended with me as I stupidly – carelessly – offered them a way out.” Naruto slumped forward and held a hand over his mouth. His next words were muffled. “Words used to be so easy.”

There was an uneasy silence throughout the room as Naruto ground his teeth in frustration.

“I’m from an alternate dimension.” He spoke evenly. He tentatively brought his hand back up to his mouth as if he wasn’t sure if he truly spoke the words or not. He looked up warily.

Minato’s vision fluttered from face to face of the other occupants in the room. He watched as comprehension clicked in Kakashi’s eye, as skepticism and a million questions ran through Tsunade’s head, and as Itachi continued watching Naruto as though waiting for him to say more. Naruto nervously side-eyed Itachi.

“Well, that explains a lot.” Kakashi said, somehow sounding as bored as ever. Minato kept an impassive face while Tsunade shot Kakashi a bewildered look.

“Don’t tell me you’re actually buying this, Hatake.” Tsunade said, unconvinced. “He’s been heavily sedated for the past day, not to mention the fact that right before all of this he was experiencing severe effects from a neurotoxin that specifically messes with _memory_.”

“I have another dimension in my left eye, Tsunade-san. Hearing that someone who is proficient in space-time fuinjutsu came from an alternate dimension isn’t really that much of a shock to me.” Kakashi reiterated. Minato considered Naruto, who was still sitting nervously in front of Minato’s desk, being stared at expectantly by Itachi. “It would also explain why all of our research into Naruto-kun has led nowhere.”

“You’ve researched me?” Naruto asked.

“We’ve done some asking around.” Minato put in. “Someone like you doesn’t just come from nowhere.”

“But an _alternate dimension_?” Tsunade persisted. “Are you believing this Minato?”

Minato considered Naruto. “The theory of alternate dimensions is sound.” Minato stated. “And if anyone would have the ability to access other dimensions it would be someone well versed in space-time fuinjutsu, in which Naruto has demonstrated his knowledge quite thoroughly. The heavy question is: do you have any proof?” Naruto’s face fell as Itachi’s eyes glanced between the two and landed on Naruto expectantly. Naruto ignored him as his leg shook anxiously.

“Hold on, there has to be something.” He said as he thought to himself. Itachi used the time to summon a clone to send out to his father. “Can you guys not look at me for a minute? It’s really hard to think when you’re all staring at me like that.”

“If you’re from an alternate dimension, wouldn’t that mean there’s another _you_ running around here somewhere?” Tsunade asked. Naruto ran a worried hand through his hair.

“No, I don’t exist here.” He answered. “Things are really different where I’m from.”

“How different?” Minato asked.

“Well, Tsunade-baachan was the last Hokage.” Naruto said, cringing when he realized that made his story even less believable – especially if the incredulous stares were anything to go by.

“I’m going to need to run a blood test to see what percentage of your blood is _drugs._ ” Tsunade stated.

“Are you sure that wasn’t a nightmare?” Kakashi asked.

“You said the _last_ Hokage. Who was this enemy you were talking about earlier?” Minato asked severely, wanting elaboration.

“Bleghargh.” Naruto spouted, bringing his face down into his hands. “Look – maybe I’m nuts, maybe I’m not. Either way, I still know about the Rinnegan and the Sharingan, so maybe you want to hear about that just in case I’m _not_ completely insane and you can all pick at the details of my story later?” Naruto ignored the _hmph_ coming from Tsunade’s direction.

“That’s acceptable.” Minato agreed after the slightest pause. “After yet another failure to capture this person – I’m willing to hear anything that might help.”

Minato looked at Itachi, still watching Naruto with an almost troubled expression. Naruto sat miserably in his chair, very deliberately avoiding Itachi.

Minato could wait to hear the rest, but he had a feeling getting Naruto to actually tell it would take some extra effort.

“When I first woke up here, the reason I wanted to leave so badly was because of the Rinnegan.” Naruto explained. “I knew as long as I took care of _that_ threat, I could stop anything else in it's tracks. But the longer I stayed, the more I realized that things here were different, and I'd be even more lost out there on my own. And then I got too comfortable – I sat back when I should have been doing something. It was stupid.”

“It was stupid not telling us the _truth_.” Itachi said, his voice low.

Naruto winced. “You're right. I was just – scared. And for the first time in a _long_ time I felt safe.”

“Do you know who attacked Orochimaru?” Tsunade asked, temporarily putting aside her skepticism.

“That's – well, you said you saw the Sharingan?” Naruto asked. “Did you see what it looked like? The shape of it?”

“I didn't get that close of a look, kid.” Tsunade answered resentfully. “But it sounds like you might have an idea about who it was.”

“Like I said, things here are different.” Naruto muttered. “Where I'm from –” He looked at Minato and Kakashi. “– Obito didn't die. He was trapped under that rock slide and no one found his body. He never got buried in Konoha.”

“Are you saying that –”

“That's not all.” Naruto interrupted Minato. “Where I'm from, _Uchiha Madara_ never died in a war fighting for Konoha. He – faked his death fighting against Hashirama and spent the rest of his life developing the Rinnegan and plotting how to _bring_ _peace_ to the world. And by peace, I mean using the Rinnegan and the bijuu to put the entire world under a permanent genjutsu.”

“You've told me some of this before.” Minato realized. “You said it was some kind of coma dream, but you were actually fishing for information.”

“When you wanted to know about my eye...” Kakashi trailed off, ill at ease regarding the subject.

Naruto kept his eyes down.

“Naruto-kun. Tell us everything you know – from the start.”

 

* * *

 

“You didn't tell him.” Itachi said after their uncomfortable walk to Itachi's apartment. Naruto sighed as he entered, dully noting that Sasuke wasn't there.

Either of them.

“No, I didn't.” Naruto admitted.

“You know it's only a matter of time before he puts it together on his own. The questions aren't going to stop with the Rinnegan, and there have already been minor mistakes in your time line.”

“After everything else I told him today, I think he has enough on his mind. Who _I_ am – that's not important.”

“It's important.” Itachi plainly stated. “To him it might be more important than anything else you've said.”

“I'm really not seeing how it's more important than preventing the potential _end of the world_.”

“Because _Minato-san_ already lived through the end of _his_ world.” Itachi snapped. “To know that – even if it's in another world – to know that his _son_ lived, even if _he_ didn't – he deserves to know that.”

Naruto brought a hand over his eyes as he pressed his back against the wall. Itachi didn't move from in front of him.

“I know.” Naruto quietly said. “Just – not yet. I _can't_. Just give me time – I'm not even sure which way is up right now, Itachi. Everything is just – slamming against my skull. I told you everything I know about the Rinnegan, Madara, Obito, the bijuu. Anything else – anything that won't help stop what's happening – I just need time, Itachi.”

After a long moment Itachi sighed and asked, “Are you hungry? Do you want anything to drink?”

Naruto rubbed his eyes. “No.”

Itachi turned around and headed to the kitchen regardless. Naruto watched him briefly before collapsing on the couch. He stared at the roof.

“Itachi, why am I here?” Naruto blearily asked. He could hear a loud clank followed by an awkward pause coming from the kitchen. “Even if they accept that I'm telling the truth about what happened to me, I still haven't told them anything _about_ me. I should be locked up somewhere, not sent home.”

Itachi remained silent a moment too long before lightly replying,“I don't think there's much use locking up someone who can teleport out of a cell with ease.” Naruto huffed. “If it makes you feel any better, Yondaime-sama put a Hiraishin seal on you. Even if you wanted to leave, he'd always be a step away. I think that's a bit more effective than imprisonment.”

Naruto sat up at that. “Really? He put a seal on me?” He started checking himself over. “Where is it?”

“Why would I tell you?” Itachi dryly asked, still doing something in the kitchen. Naruto was futilely trying to look over his shoulder at his back when Itachi sat opposite him, placing two cups of tea down on the small table between them. Naruto could smell something cooking.

He made a face, but gave up searching himself. “It's probably for the best. I get into a lot of stupid things. Maybe Minato-san will sense when I'm about to make a bad decision and stop me before I get the chance.”

Itachi's eyes glinted with amusement. “That's really not how it works.” Naruto shrugged and grinned, the shadows under his eyes fading slightly. Itachi shifted uneasily, trying to suppress the flood of questions rampaging through his mind. “Is it… weird?” Itachi asked, feeling his age at the poor wording. “Seeing Yondaime-sama – your father – _everyone_ you know, but they don't know you?”

Naruto grabbed the cup of tea in front of him, still too hot to drink, but something he could idly focus on while deciding how to answer Itachi's question.

“It was at first. The people I knew well – like Kakashi and Tsunade, I always want to say things that someone they just met shouldn't be saying to them. And maybe it's weird but Minato-san's been one of the easiest to be around. Getting to know my parents – it's not really something I ever thought could happen. Talking to him and going over fuinjutsu with him – it sort of feels like how things could have been if...” He trailed off, sending Itachi an insecure look.

“...And Sasuke?” Itachi asked. A wry grin stole Naruto's face.

“Sasuke's great – he's so different and so similar to the one I knew. I'm just happy that _he's_ happy here. As much of a brat he is, he's finally getting the life he always should have had. I would never ask for more.” It was just the smallest moment, but Naruto saw the pained look that flashed through Itachi's face. “I'm happy that _you're_ getting the life you always should have had, too.” He somberly added.

“You said – something about a massacre.” Itachi forced out. Naruto dropped his eyes back to the cup in his hands.

“Itachi, there are some things no one should ever have to live through. Firsthand _or_ secondhand.”

“That's not exactly comforting.” Itachi breathed out. Naruto tried kicking him from under the table, but couldn't quite reach. Naruto received a small upturn of the lips for his efforts.

“Bad decisions were made on a lot of peoples' parts during a _really_ bad time. Just know that even in the worst possible situation, he still did what he thought was right. Maybe it wasn't the best or even a good decision, but he was just a kid when everything happened. He saved Sasuke's life – in many ways at the cost of his own. Maybe I could never really understand or admire _that_ Itachi, but I respect him all the same. When it comes to Sasuke, I know I've done a lot of stupid, _stupid_ things.”

Itachi's eyes were steady on Naruto by this point, something vulnerable painting his features. Naruto gave him a timid smile.

“I don't understand you at all.” Itachi said. “Sometimes I feel as though I know you better than I know anyone else, and then you do something to turn everything upside down.”

Naruto broke eye contact as a memory flashed sharply in his head. “Itachi. At the – in Kumo.” Naruto started. Itachi tensed as he predicted what Naruto was going to ask. “What you said – Did you really say – Are you…?” Naruto stumbled over his words as something akin to panic threatened him. Itachi never dropped his gaze, even after Naruto halted his poor line of questioning.

“Yes.” Itachi answered. “I did. I still am.”

“Oh.” Naruto barely managed to say. “Oh.” In a stupor, he watched Itachi who finally dropped his eyes in discomfort. Itachi stood up.

“They let you come home because you fell asleep three times in five minutes, Naruto. Get some rest. I'll wake you when dinner's ready.” He said as he headed to the kitchen.

Naruto's eyes tracked him across the room. He didn't respond, but eventually he did sling his legs over the edge of the couch and reclined back. Despite the heaviness of his eyelids, he couldn't bring himself to close them.

“You kicked me in the face.” Naruto said a few minutes later. He could hear water running in the sink.

Itachi's quiet voice floated over to him, a touch of amusement overshadowed by uncertainty. “You broke my arm.”

“Ah.” Naruto said. “Sorry about that.”

“It happens.” Itachi lied. Naruto successfully stifled a not quite hysterical laugh.

“Can I autograph the cast?” Naruto asked. “Uzumaki Naruto, Destroyer of Arms.” He finally closed his eyes as he listened to something being stirred. The strong scent of garlic wafted over to him.

“You can write anything you want on it if you promise not to leave again.”

Naruto smiled guiltily as sleep attempted to settle over him, ashamed of his actions, yet pleased he was still wanted.

“I think I can manage that.” He said halfway through a silent yawn. The water was running again. He could hear Itachi moving in the kitchen. He felt numb.

“Itachi?” Naruto asked several minutes later, barely cognizant.

“Is something wrong, Naruto?” Itachi asked.

“No. Just – just checking.” Naruto answered. The last thing he heard was the creak of the facet cutting the water off.

 

* * *

 

 

The following day found Naruto back in the Hokage's office with Itachi, sans Tsunade and Kakashi.

“You're looking better.” Minato said, keeping an impassive face.

Naruto smiled honestly and walked towards the open window, letting the warm breeze blow over him.

“I'm sorry.” He said. Minato blinked and didn't hide his puzzled expression. “For not telling you the truth in the beginning. I don't think I've apologized properly for that yet. I'm really, _really_ sorry. I haven't been so selfish in my entire life. I knew what was at stake and I tried to hide away instead.”

Minato's expression softened and he walked over to Naruto, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you.” Minato said genuinely. “You can make up for it by helping us catch this assassin.”

“You believe me, right? About being from another dimension. I mean – I wouldn't blame you if you just thought I was nuts, I _am_ kinda nuts, after all. Maybe even more than kinda. Actually, probably definitely more than kinda.”

“Naruto-kun.” Minato cut him off, a hint of laughter in his otherwise tired voice. “I believe you.”

“But – _Why_?”

“Call it intuition.” Minato leaned against the window ledge, looking outwards. “Also it makes sense in all of the oddest ways. I can tell that it's – at the very least – not a lie. You're not a good liar, Naruto-kun.”

“That's putting it mildly.” Itachi spoke up.

Naruto sighed dramatically, trying to hide his relief. “I still managed to fool all of you for _ages_.”

“You never fooled anyone. We just didn't want to pry and alternate dimensions aren't exactly something the mind jumps to.” Minato said. Naruto grinned, but didn't say anything. “And I know that you've been side-stepping something else, too.” Naruto's grin pulled down into a wince.

“I'll tell you everything one day, Minato-san. And I mean _everything_. But for right now, can we stick to simple question and answers? Actually, I have a question. Have you found anything out since yesterday? I really did tell you everything I knew about the Rinnegan.”

Minato looked at Itachi. “Fugaku-san came by earlier. Nothing unusual was found within the members of the Uchiha Clan.” Itachi nodded, already aware. Minato looked back to Naruto. “Kakashi and I did a check over Obito's grave with Fugaku-san's permission in the case that your world's history is somehow trying to repeat itself here. They are, without a doubt, his remains in there and although we're not entirely certain – we found possible signs of tampering. But if someone opened his grave, it must have been a very long time ago.”

Naruto frowned as he tried to understand what that could mean.

“Other than that,” he continued, “We looked as much as we could into Uchiha Madara. We were unable to turn up much – his body was presumed destroyed in the First Shinobi War. Sadly, Danzo would have been able to provide the most information on the subject. He was active in the same battle that took Madara's life. I've also been in contact with Jiraiya – even with the information you've provided, he's been having difficulty tracking down anyone. As of yet, the only confirmed Jinchurinki are the Kazekage's son Gaara, Killer B, and Yugito Nii from Kumo.”

“What about Yagura?” Naruto asked. “I thought he'd be easy to figure out.”

“We've been keeping an eye on him, but there's no simple way to confirm or deny if he is one. Our relationship with Kirigakure isn't as good as it could be.” Minato admitted, stress lining his voice. “And if he is a Jinchurinki, he seems to have no intentions of outright revealing himself as one. At the very least, the Jinchurinki we _do_ know about are well protected by their own rights.”

Itachi listened avidly to the conversation, having not been included in the original reveal of Jinchurinki.

“I guess I shouldn't expect Ero-sennin to find any of them so quickly.” Naruto said. “It took the Akatsuki years to find them all and they had a few teams working on it. But still, it'd be a relief to know if they were alright or not.”

Minato seemed to have a question on his mind, but refrained from voicing it.

“Kakashi and his teams have still been working on picking up any kind of trail on Orochimaru's assailant without any luck.” He divulged instead. Naruto's frown deepened.

“How'd they escape, anyways? Between you and Kakashi and _everyone_ else that must have been after them...”

“You'd think so, wouldn't you?” Minato asked. “Kakashi and I are both adept in the Hiraishin, and despite my title of being the fastest ninja – I've let two people get the better of me within the span of a couple days. I'm starting to think I'm getting old.”

“Two people?” Naruto asked.

“Between your reflexes and special brand of space-time fuinjutsu, I found myself at a loss.” Minato deadpanned. Naruto laughed nervously, not remembering a thing. “And then you pulled out a very impressive _Fuinjutsu Null Field._ Or what turned out to be your clone did.” Minato tacked on.

Naruto nervous laughter tapered off as he slapped a hand over his face.

“Ugh, I'm so stupid. Can we just pretend none of that ever happened?”

“Perhaps when my ego manages to revive itself, we can talk. I might also require a better look at both your space-time seal and the theory behind the null field. And I'd also like to request for you to never fight me in hand to hand combat. The hits you deal out are unpleasant to say the least.” Minato said, shamelessly relishing Naruto's growing embarrassment. “That aside, our assassin also seemed to have the irritating ability to effectively disappear. I think I'm beginning to understand why people don't like fighting me.”

“You think whoever it is has a space-time technique?” Itachi asked.

“When it happened I thought it might have been a very clever genjutsu – but there was an Aburame with us who saw it happen, and she more or less confirmed there was no genjutsu at play. Whoever it was simply disappeared within the middle of the village, a split second before I was able to tag them with the Hiraishin. After that happened, Kakashi picked up an older trail – very likely from when they entered the village, but it didn't lead to anywhere useful. After Tsunade said she saw the Sharingan, I've been toying with the idea of Kamui.”

“Kamui? But if it's not Obito… Wait, what happened to Obito's other eye?” Naruto asked.

“We destroy our member's eyes after death to prevent others from obtaining Sharingan.” Itachi explained. Naruto eyed Itachi speculatively.

“Then it couldn't be Kamui. Obito's eyes were the only ones to develop it.”

Minato and Itachi looked at each other. Naruto furrowed his brow.

“What?”

“I can use Kamui.” Itachi said.

Naruto's brain shut down for a moment. “Seriously?” He asked. Itachi raised a brow. “Oh, that's scary.” Itachi raised his other brow. Minato snorted.

“You've – met the other Itachi, I'm assuming.” Minato deducted. Naruto pulled his eyes away from Itachi as he glanced at the Yondaime.

“Briefly, yeah. He wasn't fun to get in a fight with. I'm imagining the same applies over here.”

“Naruto-kun, were you a Konoha Shinobi?” Minato asked.

“Ahh, yeah. I was. Am. I will be until I die, even if the village I came from is just a pile of splinters in another world.”

“Then as a Jinchurinki of Konoha...”

Naruto winced, yet again. “I was hoping you wouldn't ask.” He admitted. Minato's face pinched uncomfortably. Naruto looked down and continued. “A long time ago, the Kyuubi escaped Kushina's seal. She survived that much, but Kurama went on a rampage and attacked the village. There... were a lot of casualties.” Naruto ran a hand through his hair.

“And me?” Minato asked. Naruto didn't speak up. The silence was telling. Itachi locked his eyes on the Yondaime. Minato's face was calm, but it was clear he was drawing more from the conversation than Naruto intended. Itachi knew by this point that the idea of who Naruto really was must have at least flickered through Minato's mind, probably half-buried by denial. “So, Kurama, huh?” Minato diverted.

“Yeah. That's the Kyuubi's name.” Naruto said, relieved by the slight shift of topic. “Kurama, the other bijuu – none of them are actually bad, you know. They just – wanted to be left alone. Most of them, anyways. At least one of them was totally nuts. But wait, hold on – back to Kamui. Itachi, how do you have Kamui?”

“I'd assume it has something to do with my eyes.” Itachi dryly responded. At Naruto's offended look, he continued, “Judging from how the – _Itachi_ – from your world didn't seem to have it, I imagine that it was an ability native to Shisui and not myself.”

“The chance our evasive friend out there has Kamui is slim at best.” Minato said, drawing the conversation back to business. “I can't see why they would run away and then decide to use it, rather than using it as soon as Tsunade spotted them. And why wouldn't they have used it coming _into_ Konoha, either?”

“Lack of experience using it.” Itachi explained. “Kakashi-san and I both experience varying levels of difficulty with Kamui. Kakashi-san prefers not to use it as it consumes too much of his chakra. And while it uses an unfortunate amount of my chakra as well, I avoid using it as I am more comfortable and efficient using other methods in battle.”

“Was that a snub at Kakashi?” Naruto interjected.

Undeterred, Itachi continued, “It's to be expected that a non-Uchiha would experience more difficulty with the advanced skills of the Sharingan.” Naruto rolled his eyes.

“Alright, so let's say our guy has the Sharingan – has Kamui. What does it mean?” Naruto asked.

Itachi crossed his arms as he considered it. “I don't know.”

Minato's eyes lingered on Itachi. “For the time being, let's disregard Kamui.” He said. “Perhaps someone else cracked the Hiraishin or managed to develop something similar. Maybe it wasn't a space-time technique at all. Maybe it wasn't even the Sharingan – Tsunade only caught a glimpse, maybe she was right and it _was_ a trick of the light. We'll leave the possibility open, but until we have something more concrete than a split second glimpse, we should focus our efforts elsewhere.”

Itachi nodded. “Has Orochimaru-san stabilized yet?”

Naruto grimaced and scuffed his foot against the ground. Itachi didn't spare him a glance.

“No. Tsunade says he should be back with us within the next few days. Apparently the poison is very aggressive, even against the antidote.” Minato answered. They ignored Naruto as he muttered angrily to himself.

“You know he was an S-rank missing nin where I'm from? You shouldn't trust that bastard at all.”

“Orochimaru is a difficult man.” Minato said slowly. “But this is not your world, Naruto-kun. Please drop any prejudice you might have against him based on the version you are familiar with. Although if there is anything you know about him that might tie him to our present situation – I'm all ears.”

Naruto shut up at that point as he sulked over by the window. He wracked his brain over trying to connect the dots. How did this Orochimaru get involved with the Rinnegan? Did that mean Danzo knew about it too?

“Before he was attacked – are you sure he didn't say anything important?” Itachi asked. Minato sighed.

“He made some broad accusations and got in a few pretty words. If Orochimaru has a true calling, it's being utterly incomprehensible. One thing is certain – he believes all of this is rooted in what happened twelve years ago. He believes that whoever murdered Kushina is responsible for Danzo's and Kabuto's deaths.”

“He didn't say who?” Itachi asked. Naruto eyed the two of them as he continued thinking of ways to vilify Orochimaru. A stress line became visible on Minato's forehead as he thought to himself.

“He didn't outright say it, but he seems to believe that my other student is somehow responsible for everything that has happened.”

Naruto's head snapped up. “Rin?” He asked. There was a long moment as Minato just stared at Naruto. Itachi looked at Naruto questioningly, unfamiliar with the name.

Finally he seemed to pull himself out of his daze as he said, “Yes. Nohara Rin. His accusations are ridiculous on several accounts. Rin was the most empathetic girl on the planet – you would never meet a kinder soul. When Obito died – it hit her very hard. And she _idolized_ Kushina – after her death… just a few weeks later –” Minato wiped his hand down his face. “She killed herself in her home. No note, no indication of what she was going to do – she was just _gone_.” He looked beseechingly at Naruto. “Twelve years ago – it should have been the happiest year of my life. Instead, it was the worst.”

Itachi understood at that moment – Minato _knew_. For the first time since it all started, _Naruto_ was the one out of the loop.

 

* * *

 

 

Three genin sat on a bridge.

A good three hours after their arranged meeting time with their unreliable sensei, a small dog trotted over and sat down in front of Sakura.

“Kakashi's not gonna make it today, kids.” He announced. Sakura looked around suspiciously as Sai glanced up from his sketch book. Sasuke didn't even acknowledge the dog's existence.

“Did you guys hear that?” Sakura asked, unsure if she really just heard the dog talk.

“Sensei's not coming again.” Sai confirmed. “At least he's letting us know this time.”

“Couldn't he have let us know _three hours ago_?” Sakura asked.

“He forgot.” The dog yawned. Sakura's eye twitched as she made a grab for the small creature. He vanished with a small ' _pop!'_ an instant before she would have made contact. Sai wisely kept his mouth shut as Sakura began reddening with anger.

“If sensei ever shows his face here again – I'm going to _strangle_ him!” Sakura seethed, a vein popping out of her forehead.

“I don't think he's ever shown his face anywhere, Sakura-chan.” Sai said. Sakura glared at him. He twitched as his instinct to flee tried to kick in.

“Sasuke-kun, what do you think? I think we should talk to someone and get a sensei who actually _shows up_.”

Sasuke didn't move a muscle. His was looking out towards the river, his legs hanging over the edge of the bridge. Well, he _would_ have been looking out towards the river, if his face hadn't been mashed up against the wooden post directly in front of him.

“Sasuke-kun?” Sakura asked. When she received no reply, she worriedly moved towards him. Leaning over slightly in attempt to get a better look at him, she tried again. “Sasuke-kun?”

“ _I'm a failure_.” Sasuke moaned, hitting his head against the post.

“The first step to bettering yourself is accepting yourself.” Sai sagely explained. “At least, that's what my therapist tells me.” Sasuke continued hitting his head against the post. Sakura shot Sai a warning look as she sat down next to Sasuke.

“Sasuke-kun, you're not a failure at all!” She cheerfully insisted.

“Nii-san gave me _one_ mission and I failed it.” Sasuke continued to moan. “This is all that stupid Naruto's fault. The next time I see him –” He cut himself off as he made an angry noise. Sakura patted his back.

“Are you talking about what happened a couple days ago?” Sakura asked.

“I heard someone saying Naruto was attacked by whoever killed that Yakushi guy.” Sai chipped in. “I also heard that he was the one that killed the guy. I also heard that he's a spy from Iwa or Kumo and he's part of an elaborate plan to take over Konoha starting with using some kind of mind control on the Hokage and the Uchihas. I've also heard he's a double spy and he's actually working for us.”

“ _Naruto's just an idiot_.” Sasuke whined.

“I was talking to Ino-pig the other day and her dad told her that Yakushi Kabuto was killed by the same person that killed Shimura Danzo. They think it's the same person who attacked Orochimaru the other day too. She said Naruto was on the list of suspects since he's not from the village, but he has an alibi for all of the attacks.”

“Yeah.” Sasuke grumbled. “He was with me and Itachi-nii all day the first time, and he was with _us_ when Yakushi actually died. I don't know why he went to the Research Institute, but I know he was the one to find the body. Nii-san said when Orochimaru saw him he attacked the moron instinctively with some kind of poison that made Naruto see things and run away.”

“Is he okay?” Sakura asked, wringing her hands together.

Sasuke grunted. “Nii-san said he would be. I haven't seen either of them since before Orochimaru was attacked. I went back to my house. The next time I see Naruto –” he threatened again, “he's not going to be okay _at all_.”

“Poor Naruto.” Sai said, not looking up from his artwork. “Lives through poisoning just to be killed by a vengeful Sasuke.”

“He _broke_ Itachi-nii's arm.” Sasuke snarled at Sai.

Sakura winced. “Is _Itachi-san_ okay?” She asked.

Sasuke slumped over and rested his head against the post again. “I don't know. He's _fine_ , but I don't know. I've never seen him like this before.” Sakura continued awkwardly patting his back until he stood up and glared down the path leading back to the village. “Since the pervert sensei isn't coming, I'm going to find my brother. And if Naruto's still in the hospital, I'll smother him while he's sleeping. If he's not in the hospital – I'll still smother him while he's sleeping. Itachi might be mad at me for a while, but he'll see it was the only reasonable thing to do.” He said as he stalked down the path. Sakura and Sai watched him go.

“Good luck!” Sai halfheartedly called out to him. To Sakura he said, “I think we're going to be needing a new sensei _and_ teammate soon.”

Sakura made a face. “I'm going to see what Ino-pig is doing. Today's her team's off day.” She said as she walked off at a more sedate pace than Sasuke.

Sai waved, not moving from his spot. He diligently continued his work, unconcerned with the current crisis of the village. The ink from his brush dripped down in a long line on the paper as he abruptly stopped the movement of his hand. He careened his neck as he looked out into the woods beside him. An uneasy feeling pricked at the back of his skull and trickled down his spine as he didn't dare blink. Slowly, he stood, closing his sketch book and taking a careful step back. He saw nothing, but the wave of anxiety crashed into him stronger with each moment.

When he sensed movement, he didn't hesitate to flee back to the village.

 

* * *

 

 

Minato watched the shivering form of Orochimaru on the hospital bed, Shizune fretting by his side.

After exhausting all possible avenues of suspects with Itachi and Naruto, Minato bombarded Naruto with miscellaneous questions primarily out of genuine interest, and partly to check for consistency in his answers. It was true Naruto was a terrible liar. Naruto himself seemed to accept this as he less than skillfully evaded topics he didn't want to talk about – specifically the reason why he created a seal that would enable traveling to an alternate dimension, as well as most things in regards to the apparent dissolution of society he'd experienced over the course of several years.

It wasn't really related to the Rinnegan, he said. It was a freak accident that couldn't be replicated in this world, he said. _Please_ , he said. Minato allowed a change of subject.

Naruto had been the Jinchurinki of the Kyuubi. Kushina's seal had weakened, allowing the Kyuubi to escape, thereafter being sealed into Naruto. He verified that he'd been a Jinchurinki since he was born. His parents died the day he was born. Twenty-four years ago would put Kushina and Minato himself at twelve years old, too young to have a genin team, yet the name 'Rin' slipped off of Naruto's tongue so easily, he was damning himself. Kakashi had many sore spots – Rin being the worst of them all. Kakashi was no stranger to suicide and he never forgave himself for not seeing the signs before it was too late. He wouldn't have spoken to Naruto about her. He didn't even speak to Minato about her.

Time and space were one and the same – Master one, and the other would be child's play. Naruto may not have mastered either quite yet, but he certainly stumbled headfirst into them both. Minato looked at his reflection in the glass separating him from Orochimaru's room.

There were few ways Kushina's seal could have been weakened enough to allow the Kyuubi to escape. Childbirth was one of them.

_How could I have been so blind?_

“Here to check in on my favorite patient?” Tsunade's loud voice carried down the hall, her confident stride quickly bringing her to Minato's side.

“More or less.” Minato said.

“He's doing well. Once he's through this next stage, he'll be able to tell us who did this and we can put an end to all of this speculation.”

“That would be ideal.”

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and pressed intrusively forward into Minato's personal space. “What's your problem today, Minato? You look like you need to book a room here yourself.”

“If it'll get me a few hours of sleep, I might end up doing just that.”

“Keh. You talked to the brat again, didn't you?” She asked. Minato nodded. “I'm still not convinced of his story. Has he given you anything concrete yet?”

Minato crossed his arms, his mouth pressing down in a firm line. “If you want concrete evidence, Tsunade, I know exactly how you can get it.”

“Oh?”

“A DNA test.”

“A DNA test matching to who?”

Minato focused on his reflection again.

“Me.” He said. At Tsunade's dawning look of comprehension, he added, “Kushina too, if you wanted to be thorough.”

“Did he say –”

“No, he didn't. He didn't have to.”

 

* * *

 

 

Naruto sat in the window in Itachi's apartment, listlessly watching the world swell around him.

Itachi left almost as soon as they returned to the apartment, unable to look Naruto in the eye and mumbling about needing to pick something up from the store. Naruto thought back to the previous night's conversation – Itachi's confirmation that Naruto's memories weren't deluding him.

“Love, huh?” He sighed to himself. “Oh man, Sasuke would _murder_ me if he was here.” He looked around suspiciously. “The smaller one still might.” He scowled as a drop of rain attacked his nose. He pulled out of the window, running a hand through his hair. “What do I do, what do I do –” He chanted to himself as he paced nervously.

There was a knock at the door. Naruto paused his self-approved therapy and stared at the door as if it would reveal who was behind it all on its own. The knocking continued.

“Itachi? Naruto-kun?” Mikoto's voice came through.

“Oh!” Naruto said, walking to the door. “Just a second, Mikoto-san!” He smiled widely as he pulled the door open, Mikoto smiling in return.

“Naruto-kun, I'm glad I caught you. I visited you at the hospital when you were unconscious, you know.”

“You did? Sorry – I probably wasn't very entertaining.” He sheepishly said.

“Oh, don't worry about that. A handsome young man is plenty entertaining to an old woman such as myself, even unconscious.” She confided.

“ _Mikoto-san_!” Naruto exclaimed. She laughed heartily as she made her way into the apartment, taking in the place.

“My son has been frugal on the decorations, hasn't he?” She criticized. “I'll need to stop over here one weekend and get this place in order. And, ah, so this is where most of Sasuke's room went.” She said as she found the corner littered with Sasuke's junk.

Naruto stood awkwardly, unsure of how to be a good host. “Would you like some tea, Mikoto-san? Something to eat? We still have some leftovers from last night – Itachi's almost as good a cook as you are.”

“Tea would be lovely, thank you, Naruto-kun.” She said, still smiling. “I'm glad to see you're doing alright; you gave us all quite the scare. Even Sasuke came running home crying.”

“I doubt it was _me_ Sasuke was worried about.” Naruto said, setting up the kettle.

“Oh, he was.” Mikoto ensured. “He was worried about Itachi too, of course, but he seemed very shaken up about what happened to you. Just a warning – he'll probably be extra unpleasant for a few days.” Naruto laughed nervously. “I was surprised to see you released from the hospital so soon, I tried there before coming here.”

“I think Baa-chan is getting sick of me.” Naruto said. “She practically threw me and Itachi out yesterday.” Mikoto nodded as she took a seat at the table.

“So the story I've heard from Sasuke is that you were snooping around where you shouldn't have been, found a body, and were poisoned by Orochimaru-san?”

Naruto winced. “Is there another story I can run with?” He asked.

“The official story is that you saw someone suspicious which led to you following them to the body where you were poisoned, _presumably_ by the same person who killed the poor boy.”

“Official story, huh?” He asked quietly. “Well, it does make me sound more courageous.”

“Naruto-kun...” Mikoto trailed off.

“Sasuke's version is real. I'm an idiot, I know. I thought Orochimaru was up to something so instead of doing the smart thing and telling someone, I tried to figure it out on my own.” He confessed. When Mikoto didn't say anything, he continued, “I don't know, maybe what happened worked out for the better. I think I have my head on straight now – or at least better than I did a week ago.” He set Mikoto's tea in front of her and walked back towards the window. The rain was stronger now.

“Itachi seems to be out.” Mikoto observed. Naruto was thankful for the change of subject.

“Yeah, I think he's mad at me.” He said.

“If _Itachi's_ mad at you, it's probably with good reason.”

“ _Mikoto-san_.” Naruto whined. Mikoto covered a laugh. “But you're not wrong. If anyone should be mad at me, it would definitely be Itachi. Especially after everything he's done for me.”

“Hmm, well if he's still letting you live in his apartment unattended, he can't be _that_ angry with you.” She said. Naruto shifted awkwardly, his face reddening as he yet again remembered Itachi's words. “Oh, you figured it out, didn't you?” She asked.

“What?” Naruto asked.

“His feelings for you.”

“ _What_? You knew?” He asked.

“I think everyone who's been in the same room as the two of you knows.”

“ _What_?” Naruto repeated. Mikoto laughed.

“Itachi's pretty obvious, Naruto-kun. When it comes to certain things, he doesn't really understand subtle.”

“ _I_ didn't notice!” Naruto said. Mikoto laughed again. “I mean, what do I even do?”

Mikoto grinned as she tapped the side of her cup. “You do what you want to do, Naruto-kun.”

“You're not – shouldn't you be angry or something?” Naruto asked.

“Why would I be angry?” She asked, genuinely confused.

“Well, because I'm – He's – he's seventeen! I'm seven years older than him!” Naruto shouted as if it was the origin to all the world's problems.

Mikoto hummed thoughtfully as she sipped the tea. “Fugaku is five years older than me. I don't see how an extra two years means anything. I was already engaged when I was Itachi's age. And if it helps you any – Itachi will be eighteen next Friday.”

“What, seriously? Crap, I don't have any money to buy him something. Maybe I can trick Kakashi into letting me borrow some.”

“I know something you can give him for free.” Mikoto said suggestively.

“ _Mikoto-san!_ ” Naruto exclaimed yet again, scandalized.

She giggled at his genuine embarrassment. “Just trying to help my son.” She claimed, still snickering to herself. “He's been a lot happier since you've been here, Naruto-kun. Maybe if Itachi were anyone else, I'd have my reservations about you. But he's not. If he likes you – I will support him.” She said.

Naruto crossed and then uncrossed his arms, and shifted his weight from foot to foot. He mumbled incoherently to himself as he turned his head to stare out at the now steadily pouring rain.

“He – he deserves much better than me, Mikoto-san. I'm barely even a whole person anymore. Itachi shouldn't be stuck with gluing me back together for the rest of his life.”

“Sometimes, it's not about what we deserve. It's about what we want. And I've never seen Itachi genuinely _want_ something before.”

Naruto averted his eyes as he reddened again, ruffling his hair in frustration. “Even then – I'm still not – I don't know if – if – I've never been attracted to guys before!” He proclaimed.

Mikoto smiled again. “Before?” She asked. “So you are now?”

“What? That's not what I – _Mikoto-san_!” He huffed and turned abruptly on his heel, petulantly crossing his arms.

“It's an honest question, Naruto-kun.”

“I mean – maybe I've thought once or twice that, you know, he's good looking or whatever.” Naruto ground out. “That doesn't mean that I'm _into_ him.”

“It doesn't mean that you're not, either.” She countered. “I think what Itachi would appreciate is a chance. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.”

Naruto kept his eyes locked onto the rain splattering against the open window seal. Mikoto was about to say something else as Sasuke busted in through the door.

“NARUTO! _”_ He shouted, pointing at Naruto. “I've _finally_ found you! It's time for you to _die_!”

Naruto and Mikoto both turned to face Sasuke. Naruto blinked excessively.

“Didn't you hear me? I said –” It was at this point Sasuke noticed his mother in the room. The color drained from his face. “I said, it's uh, time for you to _dine_. With food. Ramen, even. Let's get ramen. Hi Mom.”

“Hello Sasuke.” She said, smiling serenely “It's so wonderful to see you getting along so well with Naruto-kun. We were just having an excellent conversation.”

“Oh, well, I didn't mean to interrupt...” Sasuke mumbled, his voice tapering off practically into nonexistence.

“You know, it's been a long time since I've had ramen. The three of us should go – my treat.”

And if there was ever a room that appreciated free food – Mikoto was standing in it.

 

* * *

 

Sakura sat inside the Yamanaka flower shop, her head resting on her hand as Ino arranged yet another flower in Sakura's hair.

“Today is the worst.” Sakura griped as she stared out of the glass doors into the rain.

“You're telling me.” Ino said. “This morning I had a customer who wanted a hundred white roses _immediately_ and seemed to be completely mystified when I couldn't magically make them appear out of a hat. And when she finally left another customer came in and demanded a refund for a prior purchase since it was apparently infested with bugs. That would have been completely okay, but he wanted the refund in the form of a _birthday cake_.”

“A birthday cake?” Sakura asked.

“A birthday cake.” Ino confirmed. “Apparently flower shop now means bakery as well. He wouldn't take no for an answer, either. In the end, we ordered the cake he wanted from across the street and had it brought over here.”

“Your customers make no sense.”

“And I haven't even told you about the customer who refused to understand a word I said and made her nephew repeat literally everything I did, even though I was speaking clearly and she wasn't hard of hearing.”

Sakura shook her head, causing a few small flowers to fall out of her hair. Ino picked them up and put them back where they fell from. They idly watched as a team of shinobi hurriedly ran down the street.

“The entire village is still pretty freaked out about what happened, huh?” Ino asked.

“There's a good reason to be freaked out, Ino-pig.” Sakura said. Ino jabbed her unnecessarily with a bobby pin. “The person who has been killing people is still out there, probably targeting others.”

“I wonder what's really happening. My dad's been getting more and more stressed out everyday, but he won't tell me anything. I think there have been a lot of interrogations.”

“We should find Naruto and ask him.” Sakura said. “I bet he has an idea of what's going on.”

“Naruto? I guess he'd know more than us, since he's sort of been involved. But why would he tell us anything?”

Sakura shrugged. “Maybe he won't. I just want to see if he's alright after what happened. He's not that bad of a guy – better than the idiot Kakashi-sensei, that's for sure.” She grumbled.

The glass doors chimed and Sakura and Ino watched as Sai stumbled into the shop, nervously glancing back outside.

“Sai-kun?” Ino asked. “Are you here to buy flowers?”

“Hm?” Sai plastered his normal polite smile on his face, but there was a line of tension running down his spine, giving him away. “I was just wondering if I could stay in here with you two gorgeous ladies before the rain succeeded in drowning me.”

Sakura and Ino both rolled their eyes, but Ino patted the chair next to her and pinned another flower in Sakura's hair.

“That's fine, but you have to let me do your hair.” She said.

 

* * *

 

Silence was a comfort Itachi had indulged himself in his entire life. Nothing but the ambiance of the world around him and the systematic, ordered construct of his thoughts efficiently categorizing themselves away in his mind. It was harmonious. It was perfect.

Silence didn't mean much when it was his mind causing all the noise and chaos.

He felt the rough bark of the tree scrape against his back as he shifted. He saw the curtain of water fall around him, the thick branches and full leaves above him offering him a limited protection from the heavy rainfall. A fat stream of water flooded down a familiar path at Itachi's right.

His eyes locked onto the green in front of him, a stark contrast to when the area was entrenched in red. So much red, he'd almost immediately dismissed the source of it as dead.

He tapped the plaster binding his arm, ignoring the dull throb of broken bone beneath.

If Naruto had died that day – If Itachi hadn't walked that exact path, leaving Naruto to die alone and stranded in a world he didn't belong to – Itachi couldn't imagine anything worse.

Sasuke had sent Naruto here and Itachi was the one to find him. He wondered if Sasuke somehow meant for that to happen, or if the universe twisted itself out of shape to force their encounter.

He shook his head. Searching for meaning in coincidence always led people astray. Itachi was simply glad it was him that found Naruto.

Even with the revelation of Naruto's identity, how he felt didn't change. To see his true flaws and past for what they were and still be able to accept him – that told Itachi that he was in for the long haul, regardless of how Naruto felt in return.

And how Naruto felt in return – there's a topic Itachi's brain was beating itself over. He could tell himself over and over it wasn't the time, other things were at stake, _it wasn't important_ – but as he'd learned over the past several weeks, rationality meant very little to the whims of emotion and desires of the body.

But Itachi made his move and it was time to wait for Naruto's response. As long as that would likely take.

Itachi smiled grimly to himself and tried yet again to focus on the world around him, to let it wash his thoughts away, knowing it was futile as his very location was a constant reminder of his inner turmoil.

Accepting the pointlessness of sitting out in the rain where Naruto almost died, Itachi decided to go home.

 

* * *

 

“So you think someone was watching you?” Sakura asked as Ino pinned Sai's fringe back with a glittery clip and purple flower. Sai himself was focused on recreating an elaborate flower arrangement on paper.

“I don't know if they were watching _me_ , but someone was there. I don't think they were very happy.” Sai answered plaintively.

“Sounds creepy.” Ino said.

“ _Sai's_ the creepy one.” Sakura said. Sai smiled politely, pointedly in Sakura's direction. “That face kills any suspense for me.” She deadpanned.

“Don't listen to her, Sai-kun. You have a nice face. You're still weird though.” Ino poorly consoled.

Sai shrugged, not caring either way. “Isn't that Sasuke's brother?” He said, pointing out the glass doors. He didn't even finish his sentence before he was abandoned. “Guess so.” He stood up and followed them.

“ _Itaaaachi-san_!” They called to him from the opened doors of the shop, beckoning him inside. He paused, startled by their sudden appearance, but smiled politely and changed his course. Sai wondered if he should be jealous that Itachi's fake smile was much better than his.

“Ino-chan, Sakura-chan.” Itachi greeted. “Oh, and Sai-kun, too.” He added when Sai caught up to the girls. Itachi's eyes briefly halted on the travesty adorning Sai's hair, but he didn't say anything. Sai waved.

“Sasuke-kun told us what happened!” Sakura said. “Are you alright?”

Itachi waved his bound arm. “I'll heal.” He said as Ino pulled him in the shop, closing the doors behind him.

“Does your cast say 'Uzumaki Naruto: _Destroyer of Arms'_?” Ino asked.

Itachi smiled a real smile this time as he glanced down at the horrible handwriting. “Naruto is very – special.” Itachi explained.

“How is he?” Sakura asked.

“He's better. He's just in a little bit of trouble with the Hokage.” Itachi said. Sakura and Ino cringed in sympathy.

“Because he was somewhere he shouldn't have been?” Sai asked.

“Among other things.” Itachi evaded.

“Why _was_ he in Orochimaru's office?” Sakura asked suspiciously. “Sasuke-kun didn't say anything about that.”

Itachi's eyes flickered back outside, and Sai couldn't help but think Itachi was planning on having a 'talk' with his little brother.

“The short answer is that Naruto's not very bright.” He said. “The long answer is still that Naruto's not very bright, with a few details I can't go into.”

“So he _is_ a double spy.” Sai concluded, receiving unimpressed looks from Sakura and Ino.

“Hardly.” Itachi answered.

“Naruto's too dumb to be a spy, Sai.” Sakura said knowledgeably, before catching herself and looking at Itachi apologetically, “Not that I mean it in a _bad_ way.” Itachi smiled at her slip up.

Sai pointed outside. “Isn't that Sasuke and Naruto out there?” And yet again, he was abandoned as the girls grabbed Itachi and ran outside into the rain. He lowered his hand as he fought to keep the smile on his face. “I think I'll develop a complex at this rate.” He said to himself. He looked at the empty flower shop, shrugged, and followed them outside.

Fortunately they were shielded from the rain, but Sai still would have preferred to be inside. Upon joining the group, Naruto broke out of a rather intense staring contest with Itachi to look at Sai, only to burst into laughter.

“Pfft, Sai – Haha, what the –” Naruto spewed, grabbing Itachi to keep himself upright as he gasped in laughter.

“I'm trying a new look.” He said. Ino patted his head, being sure not to ruin her handiwork.

“I think it's a vast improvement. Purple is your color.” She chipped in.

Naruto wiped the tears away from his eyes. “It's something, alright.”

“There are too many of us to fit in the booth at Ichiraku's now.” The calm voice of Sasuke's mother announced. She smiled at Sai, but it seemed to be a real smile – something Sai wasn't too familiar with. Itachi watched his mother carefully, almost accusingly. Sasuke sulked at Mikoto's side, clearly wishing he was elsewhere.

“We just wanted to say hi – we didn't mean to ruin your plans, Mikoto-san.” Sakura said apologetically.

“Don't be ridiculous. A dreary day like this is the perfect time for a nice meal with friends, right Sasuke?” Mikoto asked. Sasuke shuffled and muttered something that might have been a yes. “I haven't had many chances to talk with my son about how his genin team is doing since he's always at Itachi's now – this is the perfect opportunity. We can always get ramen another day.”

As Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Ino debated over the best place to eat, Sai overheard Mikoto and Itachi speak quietly to one another.

“You owe me, Itachi.” The teasing voice of Mikoto said.

Itachi reluctantly asked, “What did you do, Mother?”

“What I should have been doing since you started dating: intervening in your love life.” At Itachi's concerned look, she added, “I have a hunch things will work out in your favor.” That didn't seem to soothe Itachi over.

“With what's happening in the village, right now is hardly the time for this.”

“There's never a time or place for such things, Itachi. They happen, regardless.” When Itachi stayed quiet, Mikoto continued. “Naruto-kun isn't in trouble, is he?”

“Ultimately, his only true crime is breaking and entering, which he has already sufficiently explained himself for. Between the poisoning and the guilt he's experiencing – Yondaime-sama wouldn't subject him to more punishment. Not that he's going to reveal that to Naruto.”

“Oh, Minato-san.” Mikoto sighed. “Ever the tactician. I take it there's more to the story than what Fugaku and I have heard?”

A pause. “You should talk to Yondaime-sama if you want to know.” They stood quietly at the foot of the group as the debate devolved into a brawl before them, Sasuke trying to strangle Naruto as Sakura and Ino pulled each others hair, spilling flowers all over the ground.

Sai turned to Mikoto. “Can we get tofu?” He asked.

Mikoto smiled broadly. “I know just the place.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the extra late chapter. This is one of those chapters I've been dreading to write because it's the whole explain explain explain stuff chapter since Naruto's secrets are all out. Hopefully I managed not to rehash too much information and still kept the chapter moderately entertaining. But yay! Naruto's secrets are (finally) out. 
> 
> The next chapters, I hope, will be much easier for me to write since this thing is out of the way. I miiiight do what I said I wouldn't do and add a couple chapters. I was looking at my outline of the story (which looks like this: Chapter 1 - time travel yay! Chapter 2: stuff, yay!) and somewhere around chapter 14 or so I had something cool planned, but then I sort of looked at it, flipped the paper upside down, shook it around a little bit, and wondered how the hell am I going to make this happen? Did I have a plan at some point? I don't know. Maybe. Probably not. But it's going to happen, one way or another, even though it really isn't completely necessary to the story. 
> 
> I think I had something important to say, but I don't remember what. Oops.
> 
> Thanks for the comments and kudos!


	12. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi has a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter doesn't have too much in the way of plot or development in the overall story. But the shippers will be temporarily appeased. Probably.

Naruto awoke to being smothered to death by a pillow.

“Just – don't – move.” Sasuke forced out as he struggled to keep the pillow against Naruto's face. “This will be over soon.”

Naruto reached up, found Sasuke's face, and dislodged the would-be murderer with a quick shove. Blearily, he sat up on the couch and stared vacantly into space. Sasuke grumbled from where he fell on the floor.

“Good morning, Naruto-kun.” Minato's controlled voice came from the armchair across from him. Naruto frowned and slowly craned his head in that direction. His brain, still in the process of waking up, made out the blurry forms of Minato and Itachi. Painfully, he blinked.

“You two just let Sasuke try to kill me.” He said without any inflection to his voice. Itachi conveniently took a long sip of tea while the Hokage immaturely snickered at Naruto. Naruto groaned and flopped back down.

“You fell asleep out here last night, moron.” Sasuke said after pushing Naruto's legs off the far side of the couch. “You _snore_.”

“I do _not_.” Naruto retorted, rubbing his eyes. He sat up properly and his attention was immediately raised as Sasuke's familiar condescending smirk was aimed straight at him. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “What?” He asked. Sasuke continued smirking as he grabbed his own cup of tea from the side table. Naruto turned back to Minato and Itachi. Itachi's face was as expressionless as could be, but Minato had a suspicious twist to his lips. “Good morning?” Naruto tried.

“It seems as though you slept very well last night.” Minato said.

“I… Guess?” Naruto answered, still not quite awake.

“He slept for a solid twelve hours.” Itachi revealed.

“I did?” Naruto asked. He couldn't remember the last time he slept that long without the aid of drugs or near fatality. Itachi nodded, his face finally giving him away as his own lips twisted into a small smirk. Naruto looked at him warily. “Okay, what? Why are you all looking at me like that?” Itachi nonchalantly shrugged.

As Naruto nervously ran a hand through his hair, his fingers got stuck in something. He pulled a glittery clip out of his hair. Sasuke joined Minato in the snickering as Naruto stared dumbly at his hand.

“Ino-chan and Sakura-chan are fans of your hair.” Itachi explained. Naruto ran both of his hands through his hair, pulling various clips and the occasional flower out.

“Oh, come _on_.” He said. “How did I sleep through that?” Once he thought he found everything stuck in his hair he turned to look at Itachi accusingly. Itachi's smirk turned to a smile as he shook his head at Naruto.

“It's nice to hear the two of you had a good day after you left me with limitless piles of paperwork and angry council members.” Minato said.

“My mother dropped by.” Itachi said as if it explained everything. If Minato's expression was anything to go by, it must have.

“I see. Well, let’s hope those good spirits continue on to today. I'm not here for business this time, I just wanted to see how you were doing while I had a few minutes.” He spoke to everyone, but his eyes locked onto Naruto.

“Yondaime-sama, can you fire Kakashi-sensei?” Sasuke asked. At Minato's amused look, he continued. “He rarely shows up when we're supposed to meet and when he does, he's at least two hours late. And even then he doesn't teach us anything.”

“I'll have to have a talk with him.” He said. “I can hardly let _my_ student embarrass me by failing his own students.”

Naruto glanced at the time. “Shouldn't you be meeting your team by now?”

“ _Two hours late._ ” Sasuke emphatically repeated.

“Go meet your team, Sasuke.” Itachi ordered. “I don't want you to start picking up Kakashi-san's habits.”

When Sasuke didn't budge, Naruto reached over and vigorously ruffled his hair, prompting the squawking Sasuke to flee.

“ _Fine_.” He spat out as he walked through the door while fixing his hair. Naruto took advantage of his reclaimed space and put his legs back up on the couch.

“You're good with kids.” Minato observed. Naruto snickered and shrugged.

“I like kids. They're like people you automatically have permission to annoy.” He said through a yawn. He did a double take when he looked at Itachi. “Itachi – what's that?” He asked, pointing at the vaguely familiar necklace around Itachi's neck.

Itachi frowned and pulled lightly at the accessory. “My mother dug it up somehow when she decided to give me a tour of my own place and _share_ her opinions on how it should look. She bought it for me a long time ago, but I've never seen the appeal of jewelry. I forgot to take it off.”

Naruto proceeded to stare and stare. Puzzled, Itachi stared back. Minato bemusedly glanced between the two of them as Naruto squinted and hummed to himself.

“You should keep it on.” Naruto determined. A brow rose high on Itachi's head. “It looks good on you. Besides, your mom gave it to you! I'd wear anything my mom gave me, even if it was the worst thing ever.”

Itachi kept quiet for a moment as he seemed to internally debate how to respond. “It looks good on me, huh?” He settled on. Naruto suspiciously eyed the suspiciously smug Itachi. “I suppose I can get used to it. Well, I can if you stop bleaching every black piece of clothing you own orange.”

Naruto conveniently ignored that as he discovered the pressing need to talk to Minato. “So Minato-san! How's your morning?”

“Not as peaceful as I'd like it to be.” Minato said through a laugh. “I managed to escape for a bit with the use of a clone, but I'm sure my hearing is going to be a little worse once the day is done.”

“Oho, shirking your duties as the Hokage, huh?” Naruto admonished.

“I'll admit, it's not my best day. But I did have something I wanted to ask you – an easy question.” He made sure to add when something cagey showed in Naruto's posture. “Was Jiraiya the one who taught you fuinjutsu?”

“Yeah.” Naruto answered, turning his head as a grin fought for control of his face. “Ero-sennin was a great sensei.”

“I'm glad it was him.” Minato said fondly. “It's hard to notice, but I do occasionally see his influence in your work. I always brushed it off as a coincidence. Did he teach you anything else?”

“Ero-sennin taught me a ton of stuff! He taught me the – uh, stuff.” Naruto tapered off, his eyes narrowing.

“Stuff?” Minato asked.

“Yes. Stuff.” Naruto answered, his brain instinctively working overtime to cut out details. At Minato's expectant look, he continued. “I am a very good editor.” Naruto said with a straight face. Minato dropped his face into his hand as Itachi coughed into his arm.

“Remind me never to leave Jiraiya around children unsupervised.” Minato wrangled out. “What about summoning or the Rasengan?”

Sheepishly, Naruto scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, those too. I have a summoning contract with the toads, but I don't think I can reach them out here. And the Rasengan was one of the first things he taught me – it's probably saved my life a million times by now. I guess I owe you for creating it.”

The corner of Minato's eyes crinkled as he beamed. Itachi was close enough to see the glimmer of moisture developing underneath. He smiled faintly at Naruto's obliviousness and inability to understand timelines, then decided the Yondaime would appreciate something closer to privacy. He met the Yondaime's eye as he stood and nodded at the unspoken question after sending a deliberate look toward Naruto. Despite already knowing the truth, Itachi understood what genuine confirmation could achieve. Minato noticeably relaxed.

As Itachi walked by Naruto, he paused and huffed out a brief laugh. Naruto struggled not to flinch as Itachi reached for his head and pulled a crumpled white flower from his hair.

“Missed one.” He said, twirling the pitiful thing by its stem. He cocked his head slightly at Naruto's disgruntled expression and held the flower out. Naruto snatched and glowered at it, probably in the hopes it would set itself on fire. Itachi smirked as he walked to the kitchen. Naruto then glowered at Itachi's back when it clicked in his brain that he just accepted a flower from him – as wretched as the thing was.

“Real smooth, Itachi.” Naruto grumbled under his breath as he added it to his collection of unwanted accessories.

Minato watched as Naruto's eyes lingered on the pile.

 

* * *

 

 

Kakashi knew Naruto was Minato's son the instant he said the words 'alternate dimension'. He knew Minato would have caught on just as quickly if he'd been in a slightly more objective position.

Kakashi wasn't a prideful man. He simply acknowledged facts about himself; his strengths, his weaknesses. He could predict outcomes of confrontations within seconds and determine a man's history by how he stands. He mastered a range of techniques and became adept with skills that biologically did not belong to him – yet all of that meant nothing when he was unable to protect the people he loved.

For a long time, he only had Minato.

Sure, Gai was always around a corner or two, but Gai was also a complete nutjob – so Kakashi deliberately ignored him as he continued his existential crisis.

Eventually, the hard eyed Itachi wormed his way into his life when he entered Anbu – in many ways reminding Kakashi of himself. They were both considered geniuses, prodigies, _whatever_ other word described a young child who mastered the art of murder before they hit puberty. It was when Itachi staggered home, the mangled body of his best friend slung over his shoulder, and with eyes that weren't in his skull the week prior that Kakashi truly recognized how alike they were. And as Itachi inadvertently wormed his way into Kakashi's life, Kakashi chiseled his way straight back into Itachi's.

Things weren't so bad after that. With Minato and Itachi (and Gai), Kakashi had a solid, if somewhat broken and patched together group of people he could almost consider family – A father figure completed with a younger brother to annoy and a stupid dog that always needed to be taken for walks too early in the morning and had the never ending desire to play tug-o-war.

And then came Naruto. The man with Minato's face and Kushina's ancestry. Predictably, Minato immediately took a shine to him – an attempt to fill the void where his real family should have been.

Bitter was too simple a word to describe how Kakashi felt at first. Still, he couldn't bring himself to dislike Naruto, even as he disrupted the tenuous pattern Kakashi had grown accustom to with the few people he allowed himself to care about. Somehow, Naruto just fit.

He eyed the three genin over the top of his book as they harvested tomatoes for their low-rank mission. Sasuke's pack was suspiciously bulkier than it had been an hour prior and Sakura appeared to be fondling a red fruit while daydreaming in Sasuke's direction.

If their task was going to be completed successfully – it was left in the hands of Sai, who seemed to be the only one actually working.

How different would things be if it were Naruto in the field, most certainly not doing the work assigned to him?

Kakashi cut his train of thought off. 'What ifs' never accomplished anything. Still, with Naruto's existence as Minato's son, even if he was from another world – Kakashi had a duty to perform.

 

* * *

 

 

Now that the jig was up, Naruto felt irrationally uneasy being outside – as if the world itself would take measures to ensure that he, something that didn't belong, would be dealt with so that time and space itself could heal the gaping wound he must have ruptured when he went plummeting straight through it. As he let his eyes roam his surroundings, the lack of _other_ things that didn't belong set his nerves off to an unsettling degree.

His hallucinations apparently had better things to do than follow him around anymore.

He still drifted off in memories – but they were more akin to daydreams than episodes. He was almost ashamed of how dependent he'd grown on his delusions, but the anxiety he felt without them left him wanting them back. Even just a glimmer of Sasuke from the corner of his eye – he was sure that would put him at ease.

Itachi watched him blatantly, his arms crossed and a face as blank as a slab of stone.

“I thought you wanted to get some training in before you _'turned back into a pile of bones'_.” Itachi said expectantly.

“Well – yeah, I do, but uh – shouldn't you still be resting or something? What about your arm? Your arm needs rest. I mean _you_ need rest so your arm heals faster. A good solid twenty-four hours of sleep will heal you up in _no_ time –”

“Naruto.”

“Okay, okay.” Naruto said, wincing at the flat look. “I just, um, haven't trained _with_ someone in a long time. And not after I just broke their arm, either.”

Itachi stalked around Naruto in a half circle as he examined him. “What's the real problem, Naruto?”

A nervous laugh died in Naruto's throat as Itachi's eyes pinned him down. “I kind of miss it when you'd let my sad attempts at changing the subject actually work.” He grumbled. Itachi continued his walk around him, never releasing his piercing stare. Naruto's anxiety escalated.

“I know your limits now.” Itachi stated. “And I think we're past the stage of avoiding uncomfortable conversations for politeness's sake.”

Dozens of immature rebuttals flashed through Naruto's mind as he mimicked Itachi and crossed his arms. Itachi must have read it in Naruto's face as a shadow of amusement crossed over him.

“Fine, okay – you win.” Naruto said. “It's just that – you know I see things, right?” He said uncertainly.

Itachi relaxed, no longer giving the impression of a predator going in for the kill. “I know.” He answered softly.

“Yeah, well, I, uh – _haven't_ been seeing things.” Naruto said. “I mean, since that one time in the hospital.”

A pause. “Is that something to be concerned about?”

“Well, _no._ But –” Naruto made a face and waved his hands emphatically as if they could explain it for him. Itachi grabbed his hands before he managed to punch himself in the face.

“I understand.” He said, still holding Naruto's hands.

Naruto was suddenly very glad his hallucinations weren't around, because the ghost of Sasuke would be trying to forcibly rip Naruto's soul from his body to suffer his wrath in the afterlife for ' _seducing'_ his pure of heart brother. Okay, fine – maybe he was confusing the two Sasukes with each other a little bit. Either way, between the facts that Itachi was more than a little too close and staring a little too heatedly and _still holding his hands_ , it was more than a little weird knowing his best friend's older brother had a thing for him.

That's not even acknowledging the fact that it was _Itachi_. As much as he'd come to differentiate between the one he briefly met in his own universe and the one in front of him – well, again, either way.  Awkward.

“Oh, that's – that's good. I think.” Naruto finally said, a bit breathlessly. He ignored the flare of heat on the back of his neck as he looked somewhere around Itachi's ear instead of his face. It didn't stop him from seeing the slight twitch of Itachi's lips.

According to Jiraiya's dogma of romance, this would be the part where Itachi said something coy while leaning in further, which would somehow lead to immediate and inexplicable sexual situations in which a rival or interloper would interrupt and would either be persuaded to join or steal away one of the two involved creating often unnecessary drama in a book people bought for the porn.

And as Itachi was about to lean in and probably say something coy, Naruto jumped back and pointed accusingly at Itachi. “When did you get so confident, _huh_?”

Itachi had the slightest grin on his face, and if he was aware of the red painting his ears he paid it no mind. “What did you and my mother talk about the other day?” He asked.

Voice high, Naruto responded, “ _Nothing._ ”

Itachi continued grinning and looked away, crossing his arms. “Perhaps we should start training. I'd like to see how you fare against genjutsu while you're somewhat sane.”

“Hey – _hey_. No, I don't like genjutsu. My imagination is already a little too vivid, I don't need _your_ imagination mixed up in there too. Anyways, I'm _really_ good at getting out of genjutsu, so there's just about no point in putting me under a genjutsu in the first place.”

“No one is _that_ good.” Itachi refuted. “And even if you were – it would just mean I needed to improve myself. Preferably by practicing on you.”

“Because you really need _more_ powerful genjutsu.” Naruto mumbled.

“You said you've fought the other me, right?” Itachi asked, not covering the curiosity on his face.

“Yea, he was all about genjutsu too.” Naruto said. “He – did this thing – with crows – and ugh. I'm traumatized for life, Itachi.” Naruto wrapped a hand around his throat as he gagged.

“He wasn't trying to hurt you, was he?”

“No, I don't really know what he was trying to do. I never saw him again after that – so.” Naruto shrugged, trying not to get stuck on the details. “But hey – why do _you_ get to change the subject so easily?”

Itachi squashed the urge to ask more about his other self as he suppressed a grin. “Did you want to continue talking about my feelings for you? I don't mind if you do. I just figured we should do what we originally came out here to do.”

Naruto stuttered and mumbled to himself, “Well, that backfired.” When Itachi proceeded to simply stare expectantly at him, Naruto shuffled on his feet and said, “Itachi, I –”

Naruto ducked as a pair of feet flew directly at his head. Naruto sprung back into a defensive stance as he located his attacker.

“Gai-san?” He asked skeptically. Any good mood Itachi's face might have hinted at slipped away entirely as his eyes took a steely glint.

“Naruto-kun!” Gai's voice boomed across the field. “My rival has informed me that you were a worthy adversary in the art of taijutsu!”

“What? No, I'm really not.” Naruto tried to excuse himself as he glanced around for an escape. A cold wind seemed to sweep in from Itachi's direction.

“As Konoha's premier expert in all things taijutsu, I'm here to judge your worthiness of such an assessment!”

“I'm not worthy, I'm really not. Kakashi is just being _too nice_ , because he is such a nice person to say that I'm good at anything at all when he's never even seen me fight. Where is he so I can punch him?” Naruto asked while taking a tentative step back and throwing a haphazard glance over his shoulder.

Gai flew towards Naruto again. “Save your punches for _me,_ Naruto-kun!” His boisterous voice exclaimed.

Naruto turned tail and fled. If Naruto had to fight anyone in pure taijutsu, it wasn't going to be Gai. After reaching an acceptable distance away from where he left Gai, Naruto slowed down and looked around. “I wonder how fast he is...” He glanced behind him. “Oh. Quite fast.” He squeaked as he ducked another flying kick. He held up his hands in attempt to surrender. Gai didn't seem to be going for it.

“There's no need to be shy, Naruto-kun.” He tried to mollify the antsy Naruto. “A simple spar is all I ask for.”

“I don't believe there _is_ such a thing as a simple spar with you!” Naruto's voice cracked when it got too high. He knocked a fist aside when it came at him and caught one of Gai's ankles with his foot. Gai literally rolled with it as he somersaulted backwards, springing back up in an offensive position.

“Excellent reflexes!” Gai complimented before diving forward again. Naruto focused the chakra in his foot as he stomped the ground, sending spikes of earth up at Gai who was forced to divert his course and attack from Naruto's side. Naruto took up the gentle fist stance at Gai's direct attack, making him instinctively change tactics and reroute his attack from a lower position. Naruto jumped over him and kicked his back as he took the opportunity to run away again. He didn't get far.

“Very clever feign, Naruto-kun!” Gai said from where he was running alongside Naruto.

“ _Please stop attacking me_.” Naruto rushed out. He was about to dodge yet another attack from Gai when he found himself being yanked aside by his collar.

“Gai-san.” Itachi's public voice rang out. “While I understand your enthusiasm for a good fight, I'm afraid Naruto-kun and I were preparing for a spar of our own.”

“Itachi-kun! My apologies. I truly did not mean to interrupt. My esteemed rival simply encouraged me to seek out Naruto-kun immediately – I may have been a tad bit over-enthused.”

“Don't worry about it.” Naruto breathed out, still itching to run away.

“All is forgiven.” Itachi said easily. “I'm sure Kakashi-san would be more than willing to make up for Naruto's current state of occupation.”

“You're right, of course. Kakashi did seem rather idle while his students completed their mission. The two of us could give his new genin team a firsthand look at advanced taijutsu and perhaps even motivate them to consider specializing in it!” Gai said, the excitement radiating from him. As he turned to leave he remembered to say, “But sometime soon, Naruto-kun! The two of us must arrange a time for a proper duel. The brief glimpse I've had of your fighting style seemed very fluid, very _youthful_ – perhaps my students could learn something new from watching a match between us.”

Naruto laughed noncommittally as he waved. When Gai was out of earshot he muttered, “Not a chance.”

Itachi rose a skeptical brow. “Afraid of Gai-san?” He asked.

Naruto rose a skeptical brow in return. “Would _you_ want to fight him in a purely taijutsu match?” Itachi didn't answer. “That's what I thought – _Ow_.” He said when Itachi pulled at a flyaway tuft of hair. Naruto rubbed his abused scalp and glared miserably at Itachi.

Itachi smiled innocently. “Gai-san had his fun. Now it's my turn.”

Naruto tried very hard not to think about that double entendre. Unfortunately, Itachi's once over of Naruto coupled with the near smirk on his face left Naruto no doubt it was very intentional. It didn't help that perversion was hard-coded into his brain after his years with Jiraiya.

“You're _shameless_.” Naruto accused, his eyes narrowing.

“Actually, I have a lot of shame.” Itachi admitted. “I'm ignoring it. If it makes you feel better, I'm sure it will catch up with me later.”

Naruto eyed Itachi doubtfully as he carefully stepped around him. “Fine, fine. Let's get some training in. Do your genjutsu stuff if it makes you happy.”

Itachi's mouth clicked shut as he forced himself to stay quiet. The quirk of his lips told Naruto all he needed to know.

 

* * *

 

 

Tsunade checked the results sitting in front of her for the third time before downing half the bottle of sake she set aside earlier.

The functional alcoholic that she was, her mind immediately cleared itself after that long swig. She sat back and stared blindly out the window, her eyes set in a blank stare.

She'd gone along with Minato's suggestion – with her equipment, a DNA test was quick, easy, and harmless. Running a hospital had its own benefits. Namely, the fact that there was a shit ton of DNA laying around _everywhere_. Naruto's included. Kushina's was a little trickier to come by, but Minato took care of that for her. It didn't make the truth behind the results any easier for her to accept.

“The time traveling dimension hopping little _brat_.” She seethed, gripping the bottle in her hands a little too tightly. A hairline fracture ran through the ceramic of the bottle, but somehow managed to withstand the pressure. Her eyes dropped down as anguish bled through them. She released her grip as a bitter smile took its place. “I took the damned hat, huh?” She asked herself, immediately following it up with a small sip of sake. “What sort of shit show must have happened to lead to _that_?”

She forced herself to relax as she sat back in her chair, her mind running through hundreds of possible scenarios and coming up with nothing good.

She shook her head and sighed. “The real question is what sort of shit show led to _Uzumaki Naruto_ abandoning his entire _universe_.” She closed her eyes. “Nothing good.” She said, the timbre of her voice unusually soft. She let her head fall back as she turned her thoughts to Minato.

What was he seeing when he looked at Naruto? What could have been? Or what he now _has_?

If faced with her own dead, Tsunade wouldn’t know if she’d be able to greet them happily. She made peace with the fact that she’d only be reunited with them in death. To see them any sooner, for them to see _her_ as she now was – she just didn’t know.

And Naruto himself – how many ghosts did he have that were suddenly walking amongst him, in their flesh and blood bodies?

Sanity has always been a precarious thing. She could understand his aversion to talking about anything related to his past. The bad parts of life have the resilient tendency to make the good seem damned cheap. And here in this world, the good must constantly be masquerading around him, the foreboding sense of _wrong_ following everyone he must have known, lurking in every corner of a village that was no longer his.

She couldn’t begin to imagine the depths of his loss. Maybe worst of all: she didn’t _want_ to.

She downed the rest of her sake, wiping her mouth clean of the few stray drops of liquid gold. With impeccable timing, Minato stepped through the door, quietly closing it behind him.

“Congratulations – you’re a father.” Tsunade said. She could feel the flush high in her cheeks and the sluggishness starting to pull at her movements.

Too much, too fast – but if there was ever a time –

Minato’s expression didn’t change from the unassuming pretense he walked in with. Tsunade was suddenly reminded of how he was when he was younger and still free from the tragedy that swept through his life. Careful, modest, and so very hopeful.

Time is possibly the cruelest affliction humans suffer. The ails of the past are never truly vanquished – they build up within and the weight only grows and grows as they are dragged across the earth, collecting rubble and snagging on twigs with each step.

“You’re drunk.” Minato stated the obvious.

“I’m _always_ drunk. Being sober is a curse I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”

Minato’s mouth pinched into a small line. They’ve had this conversation before and they’d certainly have it again in the future. But today – _today_ it seemed Tsunade would be spared the lecture.

Small mercies.

“Time and space, huh?” Tsunade slurred out. “Makes you wonder what else is out there. Entire worlds full of people that might have it better than us. Or worse, as your _son_ suggests.”

“This world is the only one that matters.” Minato’s decisive voice struck through the mounting haze of Tsunade’s intoxication. “And Naruto is here in _this_ world now.”

“So – what are you going to do?”

“Naruto never had his parents. I’ll do what I’m certain his father would have done: Help him.”

“That kid – what he must have been through – the sort of help he’ll need is the lifelong sort of help, Minato.”

“Then I suppose it’s a good thing that it’ll be giving me the lifelong sort of help I need as well.”

Tsunade kicked a leg up on her desk and tilted back precariously on the back legs of her chair. She held up an unopened bottle of sake in Minato’s direction, gesturing for him to take it. Minato crossed his arms in disapproval. Tsunade snorted and uncapped the bottle herself, taking another shot.

“You’re _such_ a stick in the mud, _Yondaime_. Now Kushina – _Kushina_ could drink even _me_ under the table.” She slurred emphatically as she held up her bottle in respect. “Does the kid know you know?”

“No.” Minato said, grabbing the alcohol to keep it away from her. She reached for it, missing by a large margin, and nearly rocked herself backwards onto the floor. She caught herself just in time. Minato poured the liquid out the window and into the bushes below. Aghast at the sight of wasted sake, Tsunade cursed him under her breath. “He’s still very uncomfortable when confronted with things that remind him of his past. He’ll confess when he’s ready.”

“Pfft, that’s the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard.” Tsunade drunkenly informed, leaning forward in a way that would have Jiraiya over the moon. “You don’t remind him of his _past_ at all – he never knew you. A kid who never knew his father – the only thing he’s probably afraid of in regards to _you_ is your disappointment. Doesn’t take one of you dumbass _geniuses_ to figure out the brat thinks he’s a failure. He just doesn’t want you to be ashamed of him.”

Minato tossed Tsunade the empty bottle. She miscalculated his aim and watched as it soared past her outstretched hand and skittered across the floor, just barely reaching the wall behind her. It cracked and broke to pieces when it made a full stop.

“Maybe so.” Minato admitted. “I’ll talk to him about it soon. What’s Orochimaru’s status?” He diverted.

Tsunade’s face pulled down into a severe frown that would have been formidable in normal circumstances. The red flush creeping up her neck and crossed eyes ruined the effect. “He should be awake tonight or tomorrow morning. I’ll question the snake myself so I can be the first to find the sonuva bitch that’s _breaking_ this village. If I see _one_ more Anbu today –” She made a threatening gesture. “Oh, and speaking of Anbu, tell that Uchiha kid to come back in so we can heal his arm some more.”

“Itachi isn’t Anbu anymore.” Minato mindlessly corrected. “Make sure to send me notice as soon as Orochimaru shows signs of waking.” He said as he made a line for the door. “Oh, and if I find you like this again, I’m putting a village-wide ban on anyone selling you or Shizune-chan alcohol. You’re supposed to be _on duty_ , Tsunade. The present circumstances don’t justify your vices.”

Tsunade kept any words she might have had to herself. As Minato closed the door behind him, Tsunade looked at the DNA test results in front of her.

“I have no idea what the _hell_ is going on here anymore.” She said to herself.

 

* * *

 

 

“Okay, fine, I think you’ve proven a point.” Naruto groaned from where he collapsed in the grass. He sulked as he stared up at the cloudless sky above him. The sun was starting to do a number on him.

“And what point would that be?” Itachi asked from where he stood nonchalantly against a tree, seemingly completely unaffected by the elements.

“That you’re really stupidly good at genjutsu. I _get_ it, you freak of nature.”

Itachi raised a haughty brow that seemed so out of place on his face Naruto was sure he must have accidentally picked it up from Sasuke. “If it makes you feel better, _you’re_ still unnaturally good at breaking free from and evading genjutsu. Nowhere near as impervious as you were while poisoned, though. I’m still not sure why – if anything the neurotoxin should have made you more susceptible.”

“Eh, whatever. Let’s just forget about that whole poisoning thing. No more genjutsu today, alright?”

“Sure, once you get out of this one.”

“What one?” Naruto asked distrustfully. When Itachi just smiled Naruto grumbled to himself. “Kai.” He blinked as Itachi disappeared and nearly jumped out of his skin when he turned his head to see Itachi’s spinning Mangekyo Sharingan a hair’s breadth away from his face. “BWAH. Seriously? Ugh, _heart attack_. My death will be on your hands, Itachi.”

Itachi patted Naruto’s head as he smiled far too innocently. “Don’t worry, I know CPR.”

“That’s – you – That’s _highly inappropriate_!” Naruto screeched. Itachi laughed at Naruto. “Itachi, you _are_ a closet pervert, aren’t you?”

“Not really. It’s just fun seeing _you_ flustered for a change. I’ve experienced enough of it over the past several weeks.”

Naruto opened and closed his mouth before shifting uncomfortably. “Itachi, you know I’m _old_ , right?” He asked. He didn’t know how to handle this situation. He was always the one who flirted badly in the past.

“Ah yes, twenty-four years old. I suppose we better start setting you up with daily vitamins and water aerobics classes. _I don’t care_ , Naruto.”

Naruto looked at Itachi, who despite his bluster was avoiding eye contact as he stared up at the sky. Naruto was certain this time that the red in his face wasn’t from the heat.

“Hey, let me see your Sharingan.” Naruto said. Itachi seemed to have some sort of retort to that, but restrained himself as he turned his head to look at Naruto. While Naruto was intent on studying the Sharingan, Itachi struggled to maintain eye contact. “They look – I dunno, really _sharp_.” Naruto explained intelligibly.

“Versus..?” Itachi asked.

“Well Sasuke’s were sort of pretty. I told him that once; I think he knocked me out. I can’t remember. They looked like a six pointed star or a flower or something. Yours look like if they were actual objects they would kill me. I think you two got your eyes backwards.”

Itachi listened with genuine curiosity, not having heard Naruto talk so freely about what he knew from before. Instead of replying with any the insightful commentary running through his head, he let his teenage idiocy take over for him, “Does that mean you think I’m sort of pretty?”

Naruto couldn’t stop himself from laughing at how Itachi said it, with a straight face and flat voice. Once he recovered, he turned to look at Itachi, clever retort in cheek, only to burst out into another guffaw. Itachi grinned as he watched Naruto double over, ignoring his own embarrassment in favor of Naruto.

“You know,” Itachi said, “I compared your eyes to moonstones once.”

Naruto looked up from where he was gasping for air. “That – _hic_ – that’s so cheesy, Itachi.” He said, his voice unsteady. “Were you always so cheesy?” He wiped the tears from his eyes as he struggled not to giggle like a child.

Itachi leaned back on his arms as he sent a sly look at Naruto. “I’m pretty sure I’ve also compared them to the sky and the ocean.”

“Pfft, hah. I don’t think anyone’s ever compared my eyes to _anything_ before.” Naruto said. “Do you write poetry about me too?”

“No, but I can start.”

Naruto snickered at Itachi some more as he rubbed his eyes. “Oh, man. You’re _so_ embarrassed right now.” Naruto said as he noticed how red Itachi’s face was. Itachi rolled his now Sharinganless eyes. “It’s okay, Itachi. Keep up the cheese. It’s nice. I approve.” He continued snickering as he flopped back down on the grass, closing his eyes. He felt Itachi do the same.

He’d forgotten how nice it was to be able to relax like this, despite Itachi’s intentions. No secrets, no pressure, no time limits. Just being with someone who genuinely liked his company, someone who could make him laugh so easily. The past years left him with few chances for laughter and no time to waste. He smiled, ignoring the grave chill of the cave and lingering foulness of whatever they scraped up for their previous meal. It’s been so long since –

He shook his head and opened his eyes to reality, ripping out a handful of grass in his fist. The sun beat down hotter than a steaming bowl of ramen and the earthly scent of forest filled his lungs. He could still feel the echoes of laughter clinging to the lines on his face and the heaviness filling his muscles from being used after a long break. No caves in sight. He turned his head to look at Itachi, his eyes closed and handsome profile facing the sun directly. Naruto couldn’t help but think that if there was a real definition for peace, it would be this moment.

Using his elbow to give himself some leverage, Naruto sat up slightly and poised himself over Itachi. Itachi had just enough time to crack his eyes open before Naruto gently pressed his lips against Itachi’s and pulled back. There was a brief moment as neither reacted.

Then abruptly, Naruto found their positions flipped as Itachi pressed him against the ground.

“Usually you have to ask someone’s permission before you kiss them.” Itachi said, breathless. His face remained impassive, but his eyes were alive with wonder.

“Oh.” Naruto said. “Really?” He didn’t know what he was doing or saying, but it felt right. His heart rattled against his ribcage.

“That’s what I’ve been telling myself.” Itachi answered before kissing Naruto properly. He pressed the long line of his body against Naruto’s as he deepened the kiss, lighting nerves Naruto thought died years ago. Naruto brought a hand up and raked it through Itachi’s hair, pulling it out of its tie.  

Itachi hesitantly pulled away, watching Naruto with something akin to awe and no small amount of lust. His hair fell down around his face in long strands as Naruto attempted to brush it back with his fingers.  

“Itachi, I think you’re sort of pretty.” Naruto confided in a quiet voice as he lightly tugged at the necklace hanging around Itachi’s neck. Itachi smiled as he hummed noncommittally, his eyes half-lidded.

“I hope you’re aware that after this – you’re not going to be able to get rid of me, Naruto.” He warned and briefly brought their lips back together.

“I think I can live with that.” Naruto said. “Unless this is still a genjutsu. Then we might have to talk.”

Itachi laughed as he let his head drop into the crook of Naruto’s neck. He dragged his lips up Naruto’s throat to his jaw. “I wouldn’t substitute this for a genjutsu if my life depended on it.”

“Drama Queen.”

Itachi cut any conversation short as he kissed Naruto again, with far too much confidence as his hands got more than their fair share of skin. Naruto sputtered out a laugh, red-faced, as he shoved Itachi off of him.

“You’re getting a little too optimistic.” Naruto informed, wiping a hand across his mouth.

Itachi tilted his head as the corners of his mouth pulled up in a smirk, the freed strands of hair falling over his shoulder. “I’m a realist Naruto. And I’ve already gotten _this_ far.”

Grinning, Naruto shook his head as he looked out into the woods surrounding the small clearing they were in. He ran a nervous hand through his hair. “I don’t think I’ll be able to take this as fast as you probably want to, Itachi. Even just this was already – intense.” His eyes darted restlessly to and then away from Itachi’s as a worried line creased his brow.

Itachi closed his eyes as he let out a long breath, taking a moment to force his body to relax. The smile never left his face.

“Do you like me?” He asked simply, leaving behind the flirtatious and suggestive lines he hadn’t been able to stop himself from using all day.

Naruto stammered, “I – well I wouldn’t have _kissed_ you if I didn’t. I think. I mean, I’m pretty sure I think I like you.”

Itachi stared blandly, but there was still a hint of a smile in reddened lips. “That was a terrible confession.”

“ _Shut up_ , I haven’t done this in a long time.” Naruto defended himself. He groaned as he fell back on the ground, rolling over and hiding his face in the grass.

Itachi smiled again, his eyes tracing over Naruto in fascinated disbelief. “I suppose as long as you’re pretty sure you think you like me, I can be as patient as you need me to be.” He said.

Naruto rolled his head out of the grass to peek at Itachi. “Your brother is going to _kill_ me.” He groaned, covering his head with his arms.

Itachi laughed as he fell back on the grass, his hair fanning out around him. “Don’t worry, I’ll save you.”

“My hero.” Naruto deadpanned. He looked at Itachi again, who was watching him with genuine affection. Another flare of heat ran up the back of Naruto’s neck, but he managed to keep his eyes from drifting away. “I still think you’re making a bad decision.”

Itachi’s eyes did a half roll in his head. “What’s the saying? If you’re going to do something wrong, at least enjoy it? I can say with certainty that I’m enjoying this. All I care about right now is that you’re happy too.”

Naruto reached out and grabbed Itachi’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “I’m happy.” He said, all traces of embarrassment gone as an honest smile bloomed across his face. He moved closer to Itachi and pressed a chaste kiss against his lips.

And it was true. He was happy – a future rose ahead of him while his past began to linger behind instead of echoing his every step; distant reflections in a foggy mirror.

He wasn’t sure who he was anymore. Everything that made Uzumaki Naruto who he was existed a world and an afterlife away. But here with Itachi, in this very moment; he was happy.

He could figure out the rest later.

 

* * *

 

 

Minato had just finished the longest meeting of his life as he dragged his feet up the few steps to his front door. He missed the days when he could run around sunrise to sunset with his three students and go home physically tired, but mentally satisfied. These days he experienced the opposite with increasing frequency. He pushed his door open, never bothering to lock it. He could sense Kakashi inside.

Upon entering his modest kitchen, he found Kakashi at the table, his face firmly planted against the lacquered wood as his arms hung down in defeat.

“You look how I feel.” Minato dryly cracked.

“I feel much worse than I look.” Kakashi assured.

“Is teaching genin harder now than it was in my day?” Minato asked as he dropped into the opposite chair.

“I made a mistake.”

“Oh?”

“By trying to annoy Naruto-kun I incited Itachi-kun’s wrath.”

“Oh?” Minato asked again, masking a grin with his hand.

“I ended up spending four hours with Gai demonstrating different taijutsu styles and the most effective ways to counter incapacitating attacks to my team.”

“Only four hours? I’d say you got off easy.”

Kakashi raised his head slightly and looked at Minato with a dead eye. “Sakura-chan asked him to come back tomorrow. Apparently she’s _very_ interested in learning more taijutsu. Gai has decided that it’s only appropriate to start training our teams together. _Please_ _give us an escort mission_.”

Minato coughed in his hand in a poor attempt to hide his laughter. “I don’t know, it might be a good idea. I’ve had complaints about your teaching credibility; Gai would be a good influence on you.” Kakashi groaned as he dropped his face back on the table. “In other news, which may or may not affect your team’s schedule – Orochimaru’s going to be back with us soon. Tsunade estimates sometime tonight or tomorrow morning.”

Kakashi made a low noise of confirmation as he slowly brought himself up to a normal sitting position. “Do you think he’ll remember what happened?”

“Orochimaru? Definitely. That man wouldn’t let something like near death muddle his mind.”

“Then we’ll finally have some solid answers.” Kakashi said.

A name flickered through Minato’s head. “Yes.” He said, not voicing his troubles. “We’ll deal with that when it comes around. I need an hour to clear my head before everything starts up again. I suggest you do the same.” Kakashi grunted and they both proceeded to sit there doing nothing. After a while of this, Minato asked, “So are Itachi and Naruto-kun..?”  

“Hmm. So clearing your head means gossiping?” Kakashi ribbed. At Minato’s unimpressed looked, he continued. “Itachi-kun wants to be. I don’t know about Naruto-kun.” When Minato got caught in his thoughts too long, Kakashi asked, “You already know, don’t you?”

Minato jerked his head up in surprise. “Know what?”

“About Naruto-kun.”

Minato knew Kakashi as well as he knew himself; he understood what he meant. A somber expression settled on his face. “How did _you_ figure him out?”

Kakashi shrugged and slumped back in his chair. “He’s identical to you. I heard the words alternate dimension, thought _time and space_ , and realized I should have figured it out a long time ago.”

“That would have been a huge leap of logic.”

Kakashi shrugged again. “Would have been the correct leap of logic.”

“What do you think about it?” Minato asked carefully.

“I think I should have known that someone with yours and Kushina-san’s genetics would have been a huge pain in the ass.”

Minato snorted out in laughter at Kakashi’s overtly foul mood.

“He’s not _that_ bad.” Minato said through a chuckle.

“No.” Kakashi agreed. “But when he allies himself with Uchiha who use Gai against me, I feel disadvantaged. Gai is supposed to be _my_ trump card.”

Minato continued laughing as he looked away from Kakashi. “Perhaps it’s time to stop your subtly antagonistic ways?”

“Never.”

Minato continued smiling as he tapped his fingers against the tabletop.

“He’s a good kid.” Kakashi said.

Minato’s expression softened. “He’s not much younger than you.”

Kakashi nodded. “Mmm, and in some ways he’s older. As long as he’s _your_ son, or some other world’s Namikaze Minato’s son – he could be seventy years old and I’d still consider him a kid.”

The midday sun reached the table and Minato watched as it slowly crept its way across, the red hues of the wood glowing in the light.

“I just wish that Kushina could have met him. I know she would have liked him.” He said, the blue of his eyes shadowed by his lashes. Kakashi fixed his stare elsewhere. “I don’t know how to be a father, Kakashi.”  

Kakashi seemed to think about how to reply. “Then I guess it works out, because I’m certain that Naruto-kun doesn’t know how to be a son either.”

A broken smile graced Minato’s face as he looked up with watery eyes. “You’ve changed.” He said. Kakashi held his gaze. “You used to avoid these types of conversations at all costs and let me do all the rationalizing.”

Kakashi sighed as he pushed his chair back. “I met a guy who went through much worse than I did and somehow is still able to inspire happiness in others. Maybe it’s time I’ve gotten over myself. I’ve been stuck in the past for too long.” He stood and walked lazily to the window.

“I’m proud of you, Kakashi.” Minato said. “I always have been, but never more than I am right now. You’ve always deserved better than what you’ve given yourself.”

Kakashi didn’t turn to look at Minato. He hunched forward slightly, and Minato could see a slight reflection of him in the glass of the window. “You too, Sensei.”

 

* * *

 

 

Needless to say, Itachi was having a _really_ good day. Possibly the best day of his life. At least the best day of his life _so far_.

He would have to thank his mother, because without her encouragement Itachi would have continued quietly pining in efforts to ensure that Naruto was as comfortable as possible due to the fear that Naruto would distance himself from him.

He really should have known that Naruto thrived in embarrassing situations.

He kept his face in check as he sat with Naruto at Ichiraku’s. A foolish grin consistently worked its way back on his face whenever given the chance and he really didn’t need the entire village to think he was drunk. Or an imposter. Or ridiculously happy, as the case happened to be. It was unfortunate, but Itachi _did_ have a reputation to uphold in public.

He was positive he was failing as he caught Ayame sending him frequent amused looks and not so subtly snapping pictures of the two of them. Naruto even posed once.

He would forgive himself _this_ day, but he made yet _another_ mental note to work on controlling his expression around Naruto. He didn’t like it when other people knew things about him.

He stared at Naruto with a sappy smile on his face.

“I _seriously_ need a haircut.” Naruto said after pulling another strand of hair out of his mouth. “I miss short hair.”

“Your hair isn’t even very long.” Itachi said, gesturing to his own hair. “Why haven’t you cut it if you like it short?”

“Well, back when my hair turned red, a few people kept getting me confused with Gaara from a distance which was really annoying, so I grew it out a little bit.”

“When your hair turned red?” Itachi asked. Naruto slurped down a mouthful of ramen before answering. Itachi’s eyes strayed to the line of his neck and stayed there.

“Yeah, my hair used to be blonde. After the extraction it turned red for some reason.”

Itachi’s eyes snapped back up. “You must have practically been Yondaime-sama’s clone if you had blonde hair.” Itachi said. He stared at Naruto for a full five seconds before asking, “Why did the extraction turn your hair red? That doesn’t make any sense.”

Naruto gulped down the last of the broth in his bowl, wiped his mouth, and made a face. “You know, I never really thought about it before. I mean, I wondered about it right after it happened, but I never really wondered _that_ much. I think Sasuke knew why, though. I overheard him and Sakura-chan talking about it one day. They shut up when they noticed me.” He exaggerated his face further. When Itachi stared for a moment too long, Naruto hunched up and asked, “What?” as he looked around.

Itachi blinked a few times. “Nothing. It’s just sentences like those that remind me you’re from the future. And it’s making the irrational part of my brain think that I’m in love with a twelve year old.”

Naruto made a loud hushing sound as he clamped a hand over Itachi’s mouth, looking around suspiciously. Ayame giggled from where she was sweeping outside, but there didn’t seem to be anyone else nearby. “Don’t talk about that where everyone can hear you.”

“The _you’re from the future_ part or the _I’m in love with you_ part?” Itachi asked when Naruto pulled his hand away. Naruto immediately clamped it back on. Itachi rose an amused brow.

“ _Both!_ ” Naruto somehow managed to yell under his breath. He removed his hand when he felt Itachi grinning underneath his palm. “And I’m not twelve.” He grumbled. “And now you can _sort of but not really_ imagine how I feel dating someone seven years younger than me.”

Itachi had a clever retort, but it was wiped clear from his mind at the verbalization that they were dating. His smile widened as he stirred the little bit of ramen left in his bowl. Naruto sighed dramatically and smiled fondly at Itachi.

Ayame took another picture from where she suddenly appeared behind the counter at the booth.

“Would you like anymore ramen today, Naruto-kun?” Ayame asked, already very familiar with Naruto and his love for ramen. She carefully pocketed the camera in her apron.

“I’m good for today, thanks Ayame-chan!” Naruto said, all cheer. Ayame blushed and beamed back. Itachi’s eyes were glued to the pocket where the camera was stashed.

“Itachi, let’s go home. I’m exhausted.”

Itachi looked at Naruto doubtfully. “You’re already tired?”

“It’s been an eventful day.” Naruto said discreetly as he checked for eavesdroppers again.

Itachi smiled slyly as he moved towards Naruto, grabbing the back of his neck while he was eying the other side of the stall suspiciously, and pulled him into a kiss. He ignored the flash of Ayame’s camera.

“ _Itachi_!” Naruto sputtered when he was released, flushing when he noticed Ayame still taking pictures of them.

“You’re right, it _has_ been an eventful day. Let’s go home. I can cut your hair.” He said unabashedly. He pulled the flustered Naruto out of the stall as he waved to Ayame.  He didn’t let go of Naruto’s hand. He’d let his reputation suffer for a while. It was worth it.

 

* * *

 

 

Naruto _was_ exhausted. But it didn’t seem as though he’d be getting sleep any time soon between Itachi and now _Kakashi._ Kakashi, who happened to be sitting too comfortably on the very couch Naruto had been planning on taking a nap on. Naruto glared blearily. Kakashi flipped a page in his book.

Itachi ignored Kakashi’s existence.

The pervert must have noticed that _something_ happened between them, because when Itachi went to the kitchen to fuel his ridiculous tea addiction, he asked, “So how does it feel to be dating a teenager?”

Naruto’s eyes narrowed further as he replied, “How long have you been single, again?” Kakashi sent him a faux hurt look over his book. “You know, if you took off that mask – I bet you’d have a line of girls fawning over you.”

Kakashi looked at Naruto disinterestedly before it dawned on him. “No…” He trailed.

“Oh yes. Yes, I _have_ seen your true face.”

Kakashi froze. “You wouldn’t.”

“Wouldn’t what? Show _everyone_?”

“Show everyone what?” Itachi asked.

“What Kakashi’s face looks like.” Naruto answered.

Sasuke walked in at that exact moment. “You know what his face looks like?” He asked eagerly, slamming and locking the door in Sakura’s and Sai’s faces.

“Yes. Yes I do.” Naruto said pompously. The Uchihas stared at him expectantly. Kakashi looked genuinely nervous. Naruto smirked.

“Well, show us!” Sasuke demanded, crossing his arms.

As Naruto held up his hands in the dog seal, Kakashi interrupted him. “That’s really not necessary, Naruto-kun. We’re friends, right? Friends keep _secrets_.”

Naruto’s hands changed to the boar seal. “Itachi and Sasuke can keep secrets too, right?” He asked, looking at Sasuke. Sasuke nodded excitedly while Itachi watched in amusement. Naruto’s hands changed to the ram seal.

“Naruto –”

“Henge!”

Kakashi covered his eye.

“I _knew_ it!” Sasuke shouted, running back outside to tell his teammates. Itachi snorted.

When Kakashi opened his eye he was met with a near replica of himself. With huge buck teeth. Naruto folded his arms proudly.

“That’s just cruel, Naruto-kun.” Kakashi said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. Naruto dispelled the henge as he grinned.

“Oh, man. You were so freaking out. Consider this _leverage_ , Kakashi.”

“You monster.” Kakashi accused. Itachi sat next to Naruto, a soft smile on his face. “Congratulations.” Kakashi said to him blandly.

Itachi quickly glanced at Naruto, who was too busy laughing at the success of his incredibly brilliant prank to notice.

“Thank you.” Itachi replied purely out of politeness.

“So when are you going to tell Minato-sensei?” Kakashi asked Naruto. “I think he should know who you’re dating considering he’s your father.”

Naruto choked on the sudden death of his laughter as Itachi wisely stayed out of the conversation.

“That’s – _hic_ – _cough_ – That’s – I’m _sure_ I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Naruto shrieked.

Itachi patted his leg. “It’s painfully clear you know exactly what he’s talking about.”

Naruto shot him a betrayed look and turned back at Kakashi. “Don’t tell him who I am!” Naruto pleaded. Kakashi stared back nonplussed.

“Why shouldn’t I?”

“Because I’ll never ever show anyone what you really look like?” Naruto tried.

Kakashi made of show of thinking about it before saying, “Naruto-kun, my lips are sealed.”

The tension in Naruto’s shoulders dissipated as he sank back into the sofa. “Okay – that’s – that’s good. I’m going to go pass out now. Today has been – um.” He glanced at Itachi and quickly looked away when he received a lascivious grin. “Good night!” He said as he jumped off the couch and ran down the hall.

When the door slammed behind him, Itachi told Kakashi, “Yondaime-sama already knows.”

“I know.” Kakashi said. “Naruto-kun’s scared.”

Itachi peered down the hall. “He’s afraid of rejection.” He confirmed. They sat in the silence of Itachi’s apartment as they both sorted through their thoughts. Kakashi broke first when he saw the smile tugging at Itachi’s lips.

“So how does it feel to be dating a twelve year old?”

Itachi rolled his eyes but continued smiling.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I've never written romance before, so sorry if this chapter ended up super lame. 
> 
> Anyways, next chapter: back to actual plot! 
> 
> And man, I really need to update my summary into a real summary. I'll just sit here and stare at it for a few years. I'd write more but I'm on the verge of passing out and you all probably don't want to listen to me ramble forever like usual. I'll just double the rambling next time.
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos!


	13. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Very short bonus chapter before I get this story rolling again.

Naruto grinned as he waved Hinata off. She shyly waved back, her other hand ineffectively covering the blush spreading across her face. Shino cleared his throat as she lingered a little too long while her group went ahead to make preparations for their upcoming mission. She jumped and broke eye contact as she spun on her heel and hastily caught up with her friend.

Naruto could still see the red on her ears as she resolutely kept her focus in front of her, the confidence in her stride something he wouldn’t have imagined seeing a few years earlier. His grin softened to a fond smile as she strode out of sight, never once giving into the urge look back.

An audible scoff broke Naruto out of his reverie and he found Sasuke lurking off to his side, boredom being the only expression marring his otherwise stoic face. Naruto’s grin returned as he rolled back on the ball of his heel.

“Hyuuga?” Sasuke succinctly asked, tone disinterested.

Naruto ran his hand through blonde hair as he glanced in the direction his girlfriend disappeared off to. He hummed happily in confirmation as his smile widened.

“I guess only a moron could end up with a moron.” Sasuke said calmly, turning to leave.

“Hey- hey, _whoa._ ” Naruto sputtered, more than a little incensed. “Insult me all you want, but she doesn’t deserve that. Seriously, Sasuke – What the hell?” He took a few long steps to match Sasuke’s trudge back to whatever hole he crawled out of.

“You’re always telling me to be more sociable. I’m not going to sugar coat my opinion of your girlfriend for your sake.”

“Yeah – obviously.” Naruto bitterly acknowledged, letting his eyes drop to the floor as his anger diffused into something resentful.

Just over a year ago, Sasuke had reluctantly joined forces with the hidden villages in their efforts both to halt the disastrous effects of the out of control Edo Tensei as well as to protect the remaining Jinchurinki from falling into the persistent hands of Obito.

The year felt insufferably long for Naruto and he would bet his very heart and soul that Sasuke was to blame for it all.

Sasuke just didn’t _try_. He was physically present, but the exact opposite of emotionally invested. The fact that Sasuke even bothered to seek out and strike a conversation with Naruto was novel in itself – even if the only intent was to insult Naruto’s girlfriend. Naruto tried to stifle his annoyance, but it redoubled every time Naruto turned to look at Sasuke. His furrowed brow and clenched jaw didn’t go unnoticed.

“If you have something to say, say it.” Sasuke instructed, his voice never wavering from its perpetual apathy.

Naruto ground his teeth and seethed. He felt Sasuke’s stare bore into him.

“Why did you come find me? Did you need something?” Naruto chose to ask instead of start an argument.

“Is it strange for friends to seek another out?” Sasuke asked, composed as always – but Naruto could have sworn he heard something contrived in his speech.

“I don’t know, Sasuke. _Are_ we friends?” Naruto asked, regretting the words as soon as they came out of his mouth. Sasuke stopped then, turning to finally give Naruto his full attention.

“I don’t know, Naruto. _Are_ we?” He parroted. His eyes locked Naruto in place as he waited for an answer.

Naruto closed his eyes and sighed in resignation. “You know we are. I just wish I knew what your fucking problem was.” He haggardly replied as he dragged a hand down his face. He knew this was the point where Sasuke would stop talking altogether, so he took the initiative to leave before things managed to get more uncomfortable.

“Naruto.” Sasuke called after Naruto took a few steps. Naruto paused and waited for Sasuke to say whatever the hell he was going to say. When no voice followed through, Naruto blinked and turned around in confusion.

“ _What_?” Naruto snapped, not bothering to hide his frustration.

It was another long moment before Sasuke spoke, “Getting into a relationship right now is a distraction you can’t afford to have.”

_The fu_ – “What the – are you kidding me right now?” Naruto asked. “An entire year of you not giving a shit about anyone or anything – but now that maybe I’ve found a bit of happiness you’re going to lecture me about _priorities_?”

Sasuke didn’t react, his nonchalance merely goading Naruto further. Naruto continued to grind his teeth and clench his fists as he attempted to collect himself.

“You can’t just stop people from falling in love.” Naruto said quietly.

Sasuke snorted, but before Naruto could hiss out his affront Sasuke said, “You’re not in love.”

A moment of shock paralyzed Naruto as he gaped at Sasuke. “ _What_?” He asked, before redirecting his question. "How would you know?”

“I’d know.”

“How?”

“Just by looking at your moronic face.” Sasuke answered, taking a step forward and past Naruto.

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Naruto shouted. “You wouldn’t know anyways, you’ve never been in love.”

“Maybe I have been.”

“ _What_?” Naruto asked, caught off guard. This was news to him. “With who?” He couldn’t help but ask.

Sasuke shrugged. “Or maybe I haven’t been. Either way, it doesn’t matter – there are more important things at stake, and unfortunately for everyone – you’re right in the middle of it all. So _maybe_ you should keep your focus on saving the world instead of fooling around with Hyuuga.”

Naruto was more than a little flabbergasted. He wasn’t really sure what to make of the situation.

“ _Wait_. Could it be – are you _jealous_?” Naruto asked, dashing in front of Sasuke and grabbing him by the shoulders. His ire melted off of him as Sasuke’s acidic glare confirmed Naruto’s hunch.

“You _are_. Don’t worry Sasuke. I have a girlfriend now, but you’re always going to be my best friend. Even if you’re THE supreme asshole extraordinaire. Besides, you’re stuck with me as a teammate, so it’s not like you’ll be seeing me any less.” Naruto rambled, clinging to the idea that he’d finally, _finally_ found a crack in Sasuke’s defense. Sasuke knocked Naruto’s arms off of him as he stormed away.

“Tch. Could you possibly be any more stupid?”

“You know, Sasuke – if you got a girlfriend too – ”

“There it is – you’ve managed it. Congratulations. You are even more of an idiot than I ever thought you could be.”

Naruto didn’t bother following Sasuke as he made a sharp turn down a random alley, intent on leaving Naruto behind. His good mood from earlier returned as he hummed an upbeat tune to himself.

Maybe Sasuke was more emotionally invested than he thought.

“Still the supreme asshole extraordinaire, though.” Naruto mumbled to the blank scroll in front of him, six years and a universe away from the origin of the memory.

He sighed to himself in the dark room, a lone candle on the desk his only source of light. He could hear Itachi and Kakashi chatting quietly in the other room.

“What am I doing, Sasuke?” He asked. His heart sank when he received no reply.  He traced a few familiar lines on paper. “Screwing things up like always, you’re supposed to say. Maybe even kick my ass for perving on your brother. Though to be fair, he started it.”

Naruto continued laying flawless line after flawless line down in front of him.

“Why’d you choose now to disappear? Did something happen?”

No response.

“Did you really die?”

No response.

“I miss you.”

No response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me! Life has had me hostage for a while now, but I've finally managed to negotiate internet rights.
> 
> But for real, let's just say I'm in desperate need of a job and possibly a new place to live, and if any of you happen to be independently wealthy and need a live-in housekeeper (or a charity case), oh boy am I your woman.
> 
> But for real, for real: Bonus chapter, yay! I might be posting a few chapters like this before I manage to finally post the real chapter. It's mostly complete, but since I've been piecing it together very slowly while under a lot of stress, it didn't turn out very well. So I might end up rewriting it. Short little snippets like this are pretty fun though - easy to write and good for breaks between working on the actual chapter. 
> 
> If there's some small scene you'd like to see within the universe of this story that never got written, let me know. I can either make up a short little collection of stories in another bonus chapter, or try to fit what you guys want to see in a future chapter. Consider it an apology - I meant to finish this entire sucker up in November - but obviously that didn't pan out.
> 
> About this short chapter: I never intended to actually write it out, but it always was an event that happened in my mind. Feel free to interpret it however you choose. And just a heads up - ghost Sasuke exists (existed?) for a reason. Not _only_ because Naruto is a nutcase.
> 
> Thank you for all of your patience, and as always, I'm blown away by all of the response this fic gets. If I haven't responded to your comments/questions - it's probably because I was busy crying guiltily in the corner.


	14. Interlude II: The Sight Unseen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi reflects.

There was something unhinged in the way the kid stood.

Nothing obvious, Kakashi would admit. His back was unnervingly straight, his eyes forward – intently listening to whatever nonsensical words Minato-sensei was yammering about team-bonding and trust building.

Kakashi knew Gai was to thank for this impromptu meeting of ranked ANBU members. The moron had been weaseling the idea into Minato’s head for weeks with the subtly of a bag of bricks to the brain after a catastrophic mission with a green batch of Anbu who all had their own ideas on the best way to complete the mission.

Anbu might be considered ‘elite’, but titles never stopped anyone from being stupid.

Kakashi continued ignoring Minato while the man somehow coerced Morino Ibiki of all people to engage in a mock team building exercise with him.

The kid’s hand suddenly gripped tightly at his side, hard enough that Kakashi figured he would have drawn his own blood if he wasn’t wearing gloves. A tremor ran up his arm, but with a quick roll of his neck, he returned to his former impeccable posture.

Kakashi’s hand itched to reach for the orange book sitting securely in one of his many pockets, but he knew Minato would sense it the second he made contact. He _really_ didn’t want to be dragged up front to demonstrate trust falling to a bunch of veteran Anbu. He continued his examination of Uchiha Itachi – the Uchiha wonder kid, destined to bring glory back to the Uchiha Clan and save Konoha and possibly the whole damned world from its imminent downfall.

Or whatever other unrealistic expectations have been placed on his shoulders.

Kakashi’s pretty sure the Uchiha Clan have been putting all their stock in the kid, especially now that he possessed the most powerful Sharingan since Madara himself. Really, they had such a tizzy over Kakashi getting one little eye, but apparently Itachi could do no wrong.

It was too much power for one kid, no matter how perfect they might be.

The kid’s hand balled into a fist again.

Kakashi sighed and wondered why everything was always left up to him.

“Quite the demonstration the Yondaime gave us, huh?” Kakashi casually asked as he sidled up to Itachi after the worst assembly he’d ever attended. He promised to pay Gai back threefold. “I especially liked the part when Minato-sensei told Morino-san to punch him in the face and he followed through with no hesitation.” Kakashi was certain Morino intended to do it anyways, Hokage status be damned.

Itachi didn’t startle, because of course not, but he did acknowledge Kakashi with a slight turn of the head and – goodness – eye contact. Kakashi was acing that social interaction thing.

“Not Yondaime-sama’s best moment.” Itachi commented, an indiscernible twitch to his lips – probably an immediately abandoned attempt to fake a smile. His voice was still too high to be considered a man’s voice. Kakashi suddenly came to the admittedly obvious conclusion that not only did this kid possess the most powerful existing Sharingan, but he was also going through puberty.

Not the ideal combination.

Who knows what all those dastardly hormones were doing in the kid’s brain. They could have a potential super-villain in the making on their hands. Kakashi knew for a fact that Uchiha Shisui’s eyes had a particularly controlling element to them – of the impossible to break variety.

Konoha was sure lucky to have such a Good Samaritan as Kakashi to help guide this young man through this difficult time in his life.

“Ever read Icha Icha Paradise?”

 

* * *

 

“I’ve noticed you’ve been spending time with Uchiha Itachi lately.” Minato mentioned one day as Kakashi hid from Gai in the Hokage’s office. “That’s good – he’s been very closed up ever since Shisui-kun’s passing. His mother is very concerned about him. I’ve been trying to come up with a way to broach the subject with him, but he’s very good at suddenly remembering other places he absolutely needs to be.”

“Hm.” Kakashi responded, lazily flipping a page in his book.

“In fact, I don’t know why I didn’t think about asking you to talk to him sooner – As intelligent as he is, I’m sure even he might like to discuss his newly developed Mangekyou Sharingan with someone who could relate from firsthand experience. Has he talked to you about it at all? How are the two of you getting along?”

“I’m pretty sure he just wants to smash my face against a wall.”

 

* * *

 

Kakashi wasn’t just pretty sure Itachi wished bodily harm on Kakashi – he could read it in the kid’s eyes after maybe the tenth time Kakashi struck perfectly amiable conversation with him.

“Is there something I can help you with today, Kakashi-san?” Itachi politely asked as Kakashi very fortuitously encountered him at a teppanyaki stand. It was all very civil, but Kakashi could sense the gracious promise of swift death if one word regarding the Icha Icha series left his mouth.

“Hm? Oh, Itachi-kun, what a surprise. To think that you’d also be here at this time – what good luck I have.” Kakashi wasn’t certain, but he liked to believe that moment was the first time he managed to make Itachi twitch in irritation. “In fact, we have a lot in common, don’t we? You’re in Anbu, I’m in Anbu; we’re both _captains_ in Anbu. So many similarities.”

“Indeed.” Itachi’s clipped voice cut out. They both took a step forward in line.

“It’s strange we’ve never had the opportunity to train together, isn’t it? Maybe we should set up a time for a quick spar. I’d like to get some experience in fighting someone else with a Sharingan – most Uchiha tend to avoid me like I’m contagious or something.”

“I wonder why.” Itachi dryly remarked.

“The world may never know. So what do you say, Itachi-kun? Are you up for a spar anytime soon?”

“I’m afraid my current schedule doesn’t allow much time for sparring, Kakashi-san.”

“Maa, what a shame.” Kakashi sighed. “Did you know in Icha Icha volume 2 –”

Kakashi _knew_ he didn’t imagine the lethal glint in Itachi’s eyes as the boy suddenly found time for a sparring match the very next day.

 

* * *

 

Fighting Itachi was like talking to Gai at length while wasted.

Well, in the sense that it left Kakashi with a killer hangover no amount of drugs could ever hope to fix.

Minato watched smugly from his stupid Chair of the Hokage or whatever it was called. Probably just chair.

“What did you learn today, Kakashi?”

“That the only way to defeat Itachi-kun in battle is to cut off his hands and blind him. Even then I’m not sure.”

“Kakashi.”

Kakashi sighed. “Well he seems to have adapted to his new eyes well enough. Maybe too well. I think I prefer sparring with Gai.”

“Too bad. Keep working with him. At the very least beating you up might serve as some form of stress relief.”

“So cruel.”

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t that Kakashi couldn’t beat Itachi in a fight – well okay, maybe he couldn’t beat Itachi in a fight, but that was beside the point. Kakashi had him beat in many other ways, at least.

Take for example: verbal sparring.

“Itachi-kun, as exemplary as your genjutsu is, you’ll become horrendously out of shape if you depend on it too much. Now I maintain _my_ enviable physique but having a nutcase follow me around and challenge me to pointless endeavors I accept out of pure boredom. But _you_ don’t have a Gai in your life. Perhaps I should recommend you to him. He’s always willing to accept new students in the ways of the Springtime of Youth. He might also leave me alone for a while.”

“Kakashi-san, shut up.” Itachi replied as gravely as a man on his deathbed.

“Really, Itachi-kun. It’s like you don’t even try anymore.”

There were other ways Kakashi had Itachi beat too. Namely, side-kicks. Now if Obito and Shisui were still alive, Kakashi might run into some problems considering Obito deducted 5000 luck from his stat points and Shisui would automatically add Badass status to every stat Itachi possessed. But as much as Kakashi would like them to still be among the living, they weren’t.

Leaving Kakashi with Gai and Itachi with his miniature doppelganger brother Uchiha Sasuke.

“Aha! Itachi-kun!” Gai singled the poor kid out one day. Kakashi hadn’t even been planning on tormenting Itachi that day, but hey – why not?

“Gai-san.” Itachi acknowledged, narrowing his eyes when he noticed Kakashi. “Kakashi-san.” He tacked on grudgingly. It was only then Kakashi noticed the thing attached to Itachi’s leg. “This is my little brother, Sasuke.” The poor innocent creature beamed a toothy smile up at them and there was really nothing Kakashi could have done to save it from Gai’s unbridled enthusiasm.

Really. Nothing at all.

Needless to say, Itachi’s little brother never smiled at either of them ever again.

 

* * *

 

Time went by, as it tends to do, and Kakashi found himself giving up the Anbu lifestyle.

When Itachi eventually did as well, Kakashi of course understood that it was due to the sublime influence he had on the kid. Of course Itachi would follow in the footsteps of his beloved mentor.

Itachi responded to that comment by pinching his nose and counting to ten.

It was when Minato assigned them to a mission together that Kakashi was certain Itachi was a hairs breadth away from begging Minato to put him back in Anbu. Fortunately for Itachi, a mission was a mission – and Kakashi didn’t mess around on missions, despite the easy pickings.

But _unfortunately_ for Itachi, they worked so well together Minato made sure to pair them together as often as possible when the situation called for it. It was on one of those missions Itachi discovered the unforeseen ability of Kamui in addition to his other unfairly numerous and powerful Doujutsu.

The ability was strangely taxing for him, but it got them out of a situation that would have gotten messy fast.

Itachi didn’t understand where the ability originated from.

“Couldn’t it be something of Shisui-kun’s?” Kakashi asked. It was the first time the name had ever been spoken between the two of them and it blindsided Itachi as he looked down at his hands, a flicker of _something_ flashing through his eyes. Itachi shook his head and didn’t elaborate.

It blindsided them both when Kakashi discovered he had the same ability, albeit the very limited version.

 

* * *

 

Itachi was well known throughout the nations. Powerful people always were – and Itachi was powerful.

Whenever names of potential future Hokages got blown around in the rumor mill, Itachi’s name was always there. The Uchiha Clan preened and gloated over this fact in the least offensive way possible:

False modesty.

Truly, as the boy was – there was no future for him as Hokage. Despite any of his good intentions, ideals, or _power_ – a good Hokage needed to be able to connect to other people. 

Itachi didn’t even know how to connect to himself.

Kakashi ignored the fact that his own name often came up as possible successor to the title as well. He wasn’t much better than Itachi.

 

* * *

 

Itachi was sixteen when Kakashi finally asked about Shisui.

Predictably, Itachi didn’t answer, but he did offer Kakashi a cup of tea which was something in itself.

“The Kotoamatsukami – the ability of Shisui’s eyes – it can only be used every ten years.” Itachi says instead. Kakashi struggled to put together what he was getting at. “I know he never used it, not even once. I can feel the ability, but it’s not available.”

“Who did you try to use it on?” Kakashi asked, knowing Itachi would at the very least appreciate the lack of bullshit in a direct question.

“Myself.” Itachi answered, taking a sip of tea. Kakashi had no idea where to take the conversation from there, so he didn’t take it anywhere at all. He mimicked Itachi and nursed his tea. “Whatever happened that day – when I was incapacitated and Shisui died to save me – He used the ability twice and I don’t know why.”

Kakashi didn’t have the answers, but something about Itachi relaxed that day. The burden he carried with that cryptic secret dissolved – and Itachi finally let Shisui go.

 

* * *

 

Despite Kakashi’s initial presumptions, Itachi never suddenly cracked and lost his mind. Which, truly – it was quite impressive with all the nonsense the kid had to put up with, especially after going through a trauma.

Kakashi gleefully attributed Itachi’s sound mental health all to himself. Surely no teenager could maintain such self-control without proper guidance. Look at Kakashi – Well, okay – Never mind, don’t look at Kakashi.

It had been two years, and Kakashi never saw the kid lose his temper. Teenagers were supposed to be little bundles of attitude and pent up rage, weren’t they? Maybe Itachi wasn’t human.

It was on a security mission – some big shot broker pissed off the wrong people and threw all of his money at Konoha to keep him alive while the problem was peacefully resolved. It wasn’t Kakashi’s or Itachi’s usual sort of mission, but they’d apparently been requested by name and the man shoved a _lot_ of money in Minato’s face. Kakashi was suspicious of the whole thing, but between Kakashi and Itachi (and the assemblage of chunin he got in the deal) there wasn’t much to worry about.

He was right. But he was also wrong.

Turned out the broker really did flee to Konoha in fear for his life – with the suggestion of specifically hiring Kakashi and Itachi by a trusted colleague. It was Itachi’s first experience with someone itching to get their hands on some fresh Mangekyou Sharingan.

The ‘trusted colleague’, who was later revealed to be an Iwa nin (operating by himself, Iwagakure insisted. Of course they had no knowledge of any such planned offense), apparently he knew what he was getting into. The chunin had been gleefully distracted elsewhere, leaving Itachi and Kakashi with the cowering broker.

The horde of men who attacked were skilled – easily jounin level. They kept their eyes to the ground and used their advantage in taijutsu against the Sharingan users. Kakashi might have had a difficult time on his own, but they didn’t seem to know about Amaterasu. Understandable, since Itachi had never used it on a mission before.

Too messy, he claimed.

They also didn’t know Itachi only had to point at someone to put them under genjutsu, a trick Kakashi desperately wanted to learn – to Itachi’s never ending amusement.

So while Kakashi was fighting the good fight, secretly thankful that he regularly trained with a taijutsu master – Itachi was sitting back, letting his victims run around attacking each other while trying to avoid being set on fire.

After the horde was vanquished, the trusted colleague made his dramatic appearance.

“ _Trusted colleague_!” The broker must have cried out in betrayal, Kakashi didn’t really remember.

Apparently tiring Kakashi and Itachi out was a vital part of the man’s plan as he explained in detail his ingenious scheme to acquire their developed Sharingan and his goals for the future, as villains tend to do.

Kakashi had heard it all before, but Itachi was new to this particular game. While Sharingans had the tendency to be targeted, not many people had the balls to target the future head of the Uchiha clan.

Of the entire mission, it was only the following moment Kakashi bothered to remember.

Itachi moved as fluidly as a viper in water as he drew a kunai to the man’s jugular mid-speech, Mangekyou Sharingan spinning wildly in their sockets. The feral wrath of his demeanor was a complete dichotomy of his usual calm, unaffected pretense. Kakashi wondered if his anger was always like this; chaotic, yet restrained.

“These eyes do not belong to you.” Itachi whispered quietly, his voice somehow managing to echo through the open ground around them. Itachi withdrew the kunai as the man continued staring ahead, lost in the effects of Tsukuyomi.

_So much for the final boss_ , Kakashi thought wearily.

Itachi stumbled back, pressing the heels of his hands against both of his eyes. Kakashi could see the blood smeared beneath.

“Alright.” Kakashi said, gripping one of Itachi’s shoulders. “That’s enough eye tricks for the day. We’re done here. Go settle up with our client and I’ll track down our easily distracted chunin friends.”

“This happened before.” Itachi said.

“We’ve both seen your eyes bleed before.” Kakashi said offhandedly, guiding him back to where their client scampered off to his safe house.

“Someone tried to take my eyes before.” Itachi corrected. Kakashi clenched his jaw as he waited for Itachi to continue. “Or was it Shisui’s?” He trailed off, removing his hands from his eyes, blood still leaking. Whatever Itachi was seeing, Kakashi was certain it wasn’t the dead trail of leaves in front of them.

Itachi didn’t continue and Kakashi didn’t pursue the topic.

 

* * *

 

It’s with that memory Kakashi was broken from his contemplation of Itachi, still taking advantage of Itachi’s good mood and stocked fridge.

Naruto had worriedly retired to his room some time ago, but Sasuke had yet to return from sharing Kakashi’s ‘true face’ with his teammates.

“Itachi-kun.” Kakashi hesitantly ventured, knowing the words leaving his mouth would ruin any good mood within the radius of a mile. Oblivious to the impending question, Itachi prompted him to continue as he heedlessly flipped to another page in his boring non-ecchi book. “Your eyes – what happened to them?”

Itachi froze, the eyes currently in his skull going blank as the implication of what Kakashi said sunk into him.

“I destroyed them.” Itachi said uncertainly. “I remember destroying them.”

Kakashi took a deep breath before asking the question he avoided for so long.

“What happened when Shisui-kun died?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure Kakashi is my favorite Naruto character overall, so this was fun to write. 
> 
> But anyways, another bonus chapter! But this one has some important things in it I was going to go over eventually, so I guess it's actually a kind of an important chapter. I didn't check over it too much for grammar/spelling/etc so I apologize for any errors, but feel free to correct me if you spot anything. That goes for any chapter, really. 
> 
> There will probably be one or two more small chapters before the story really picks up again, but I am making good progress on the actual story, so don't worry too much about that!


	15. Interlude III: The Week That Doesn't Exist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It never happened, honest.

“I think you were lied to.” Sai said indifferently. Sasuke scrunched up his face as he jumped up and balanced atop a thin railing next to the walkway, the sinking sun throwing his shadow far out on the ground below.

“No way, you should have seen his face – I mean his eye. Whatever. But no wonder he always wears a mask,” Sasuke said, gesturing at his own face, “I would too. I need to thank my mom for giving me my face.”

“Can I thank her too?” Sakura asked, pink dusting her cheeks as she gazed at Sasuke as he redirected his team’s attention to his face.

“No.” His voice was flat as he turned around and crossed his arms, nose turned up.

“How does Naruto even know what Kakashi-sensei’s face looks like?” Sakura asked, used to being rebuffed by Sasuke. He shrugged.

“I don’t know; he always knows random stupid stuff. Probably some dumb fuinjutsu thing that lets him spy on other people. At least he’s somewhat useful. Maybe this is why Nii-san keeps him around.”

“That’s not what you were saying the other week.” Sai said.

“Shut up, Sai.”

“I know. I’m hungry too.”

“ _What._ ”

“What?”

Sasuke glared at Sai. “Anyways, we don’t talk about that week. _Remember_?”

Sai smiled and shrugged.

“What week?” Sakura asked, out of the loop.

Sai began, “The week when –“

“ _There was no week. It doesn’t exist, it never happened –_ forget the word _week_ even exists.” Sasuke steamrolled out, losing his balance on the railing as he gestured threateningly at his teammates.

“Um…” Sakura hesitated, torn between curiosity and wanting to appease Sasuke.

“ _Doesn’t. Exist._ ” Sasuke repeated emphatically through clenched teeth.

“Oh. Okay.” Sakura deflated, but eyed Sai when Sasuke looked away.

So there was a week.

Possibly the worst week of Sasuke’s life – including the time he burnt all of his hair off.

That week didn’t exist either.

But _that_ week, _the_ week, the worst week of Sasuke’s _life_ – that didn’t exist, of course –

It was all Naruto’s fault.

* * *

It was just a few days after Sasuke’s graduation from the academy – after Danzo’s assassination – that things took a turn for the worst. The village was in an uproar, ANBU was everywhere, there was a feeling of oppression thick in the air, and the gleam in some people’s eyes gave Sasuke nightmares of a war he never knew.

And motherfuckin’ _Uzumaki Naruto_ was sitting half a centimeter too close to his older brother.

Sasuke determinedly rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stomped over to where the two were chatting over breakfast, Sasuke’s empty plate waiting for him on the table.

“Good morning, Sasuke.” Itachi said over the steaming cup of tea in his hands. Naruto waved halfheartedly as he crammed two pieces of toast in his mouth. Sasuke’s lip curled in distaste as he pulled Naruto’s chair, and therefore Naruto, to the other side of the table.

“Wuahhf?” Naruto said through a full mouth. Sasuke ignored him, pulling a third chair back over to Itachi’s side.

“Good morning, Nii-san.” Sasuke replied before eating the rest of Naruto’s food while piling more onto his own empty plate.

“Wuah da ‘ell, Swasge?” Naruto asked as he chewed the disgusting amount of bread, bits occasionally dropping down to the table. He went ignored.

“Do you work today, Nii-san?” Sasuke asked. Itachi let amused eyes travel away from the offended Naruto to his younger brother. Sasuke immediately perked up.

“Yes. I’ve been asked to cover another patrol this morning. I’ll be free later this afternoon if you wanted to do something.”

“ _Training_.” Sasuke answered before downing the remainder of Naruto’s rice. Naruto feebly reached out for his stolen plate, just to withdraw his hand as Sasuke stabbed down at it with his chopsticks. Itachi’s eyes were back on the sulking Naruto, which was not okay. “I need to be the strongest in my team. Kakashi- _sensei_ included.”

“You want to train after your training.” Itachi stated seriously after taking a sip of tea. “Maybe you should become more acquainted with your team instead? They’re going to be an important part of your life from now on.”

Sasuke replied by eating all of the fried pork.

* * *

Sasuke’s new sensei was the most useless human being on the planet. It wasn’t even up for debate. He said as much to his teammates after they were excused for the day, prompting Sakura to uselessly think about it and try to give Kakashi the benefit of the doubt, while Sai happily continued not giving a shit about anything.

Sasuke frowned at Sai and wondered why he was so weird. He’d never bothered talking to the other kid before and he didn’t really intend to start, despite being on the same team. Being saddled with Sakura was bad enough.

“Oh, by the way – Sakura-chan.” Sai attempted conversation as they walked back towards the main streets of the village, rummaging through the small pack he had with him. “I found this the other day when I was studying. I thought it might help you.”

Sasuke only saw a brief glimpse of a book before a dangerously red Sakura shrieked and threw it as far as she could back the way they came.

“Are – you – an – IDIOT?” She hollered, hitting Sai up the head with a fist while simultaneously trying to cover her face with her other hand. Sasuke, curiosity piqued, looked over at the offending item sitting guilelessly in the middle of the path. He walked over to it.

“I just thought,” Sai started with a wince as Sakura moved to hit him again for daring to speak. “That after our discussion yesterday about how I shouldn’t interfere with you and Sas – ” He cut himself off as he dodged another blow. “I just thought it might help. Books always help me.” He held his hands up in submission.

“I don’t _need_ –”

“Why doesn’t he like me back? Every reason the man you’re after just doesn’t take the hint and ask you out, and all of the ways to make him fall madly in love with you.” The blood drained from Sakura’s face as Sasuke recited the words written in bold on the pink cover of the book. He flipped the cover open. Sakura made a guttural noise from the back of her throat. “Chapter 1: How to impress your man and make him want you.” There was a pause as Sasuke’s eyes skimmed over the rest of the page. “This is stupid.”

“Sai.” Sakura whimpered. “I hate you.”

“Um – Sasuke-kun. I got that for Sakura-chan.”

“I DON’T WANT IT.” Sakura screamed as she tore down the path in a flurry.

“What’s her problem?” Sasuke asked, walking back up towards his teammate. Sai shrugged in response as he watched Sakura disappear in the distance, obviously relieved she didn’t try to attack him again. They quietly watched the dust Sakura kicked up settle back down on the earth.

“Sasuke.” Itachi’s voice appeared behind them. Sasuke immediately lit up, spinning around in excitement, all thoughts of weird teammates forgotten. “I thought you’d still be out here.”

“Itachi-nii!”

“And you must be Sai-kun?” Itachi asked, directing his attention to the pasty skinned kid next to his brother.

Sai plastered the usual weird smile on his face and Sasuke made sure to cut him off before he could introduce himself. “Yeah, yeah – that’s Sai. He’s weird. Can we go train now?” Itachi blinked a few times, used to Sasuke’s rudeness. “Oh, and here’s your stupid book.” He said, shoving the book into Sai’s hands.

“Ah, thank you. It’s too bad Sakura-chan didn’t want it. It seemed like a popular choice at the book store; a lot of girls were reading it.” He said, staring quizzically at the pink eyesore.

“Is that… a relationship self-help book?” Itachi asked as his eyes narrowed.

“It is. Sakura-chan is always complaining about her lack of a boyfriend to Ino-chan, so I thought she would like it. I was wrong.”

“I see.” Itachi said. Sasuke crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. His brother really didn’t have to go through the trouble of being polite to _Sai_ of all people. “So it’s for women – to attract men.”

“Yup. Did you want to read it?” Sai asked, opening a page.

“My brother doesn’t want to read your stupid book, Sai!” Sasuke exclaimed as he started stomping back towards the training grounds. He stopped when he didn’t hear his brother’s footsteps echoing behind him. He turned around and stood in shock as he found both Sai and Itachi hovering over the book, both of their attentions immersed in words of the pink aberration.

“ ‘A guy might have a personality type they like, but the first thing that catches a man’s attention is – obviously – your looks. To really capture your man’s attention, physical attraction always comes first. Flaunt what you’ve got and get their eyes on you before anything else. See page 13 for a simplified list of super sexy ways to spark that attraction!’ ” Itachi read, his deep inflectionless voice contrasting terribly with the words that should have belonged to an upbeat cutesy girl trying to motivate her single friends.

“Itachi-nii?” Sasuke asked as Itachi brought a hand to his chin in deep thought.

“Turn to page 13.” Itachi instructed with the countenance of a man ready for war.

“Okay.” Sai acquiesced as he found the correct page. They both proceeded to read the page in depth.

“I-Itachi-nii?” Sasuke asked weakly.

Without looking up, Itachi said, “Sasuke – one day you will understand why this is important.” They flipped to the next page in the book.

Sasuke’s jaw remained unhinged as he blanched. Several minutes later he managed to reboot his brain to a somewhat operational state and sat down next to the absorbed duo.

“Ah, here’s where the list _really_ starts.” Sai said. “ _Number one_ : Smile and keep that eye contact.” A pinched expression crossed Itachi’s face.

“Do I smile enough?” He muttered to himself, running a hand across his mouth.

“ _Number two_ : Use your body language to keep his eyes on you. Play with your hair while showing off your slender neck. Lean forward to tease him with a glimpse of cleavage.”

Itachi wrapped a finger around a strand of hair and looked down at his chest, frowning.

“ _Number three_ : Show off your body! Men are visual and your curves are going to be one of the first things they notice.”

“Do muscles count as curves?” Itachi asked humorlessly.

“I don’t see why not.” Sai answered. “They aren’t flat lines, after all. _Number four_ : Blush and act coy. When he catches your eye look away and smile.” The intense look on Itachi’s face deepened.

“Am I supposed to maintain eye contact or look away? These suggestions are contradictory.”

“Hmm. I’m not sure. Maybe you’re only supposed to start looking away if maintaining eye contact doesn’t work? _Number five_ : Be sensual. Draw his attention to your body and remember to give him _that look_. What look?”

“You’ll understand when your older. What’s next?” Itachi asked, eyes already zooming across the list. Sai obligingly handed him the book.

Sasuke prodded the ground with a stick, waiting for his brother to finish doing _whatever_ he was doing so they could start training. His stomach growled.

“We’ll get food soon, Sasuke. I just need to – finish this book.” Itachi explained, going through pages at lightning speed.

“I want to train first.” Sasuke complained. “Why do you need to read that anyways? It’s for _girls_.”

“Sasuke – as you are well aware, I am not particularly good at keeping relationships.” Itachi said, not bothering to elaborate.

“Well – that’s because – ” Sasuke stumbled with his words. “It doesn’t matter! They weren’t worth your time!”

“It matters to me.” Itachi replied patiently.

“The key to lifelong happiness is a stable and healthy relationship with the perfect partner. That’s what the book said.” Sai divulged. “Books are always right.”

“But that book is for _girls_ , Sai. My brother is not a girl.”

Sai shrugged. “I don’t judge.”

“ _He’s not a girl, Sai._ ”

“Itachi-san can be whatever he wants to be, Sasuke-kun. If he decides to be your sister instead of your brother, would you hold it against him?”

“I – _What_?”

“That’s horribly bigoted of you, Sasuke-kun.”

Sasuke gaped at Sai.

“Thank you, Sai-kun. I think I’ve picked up a few things that can help me.” Itachi said, handing the book back to Sai who nodded and smiled passively.

“I’m glad it was useful to someone. Maybe I’ll try to give it to Sakura-chan again tomorrow.”

Sasuke let Itachi guide him all the way back to his apartment where he shoved his head under a pillow until dinner was prepared. Naruto kicked him under the table.

“What’s wrong with you _today_?” He asked.

“ _Nothing_. Why do you say that like I have a different problem every day?” Sasuke grumbled as he stared blankly at the tabletop.

“Because you do. And I can usually never get you to shut up about it, so I kinda wanna know what happened. You know – for future reference.” Naruto leaned forward, grinning deviously.

“Shut up. I don’t complain that much.”

“Sasuke, you complain so much I think your vocal chords and lungs have surpassed normal human limits.”

Sasuke groaned as he let his head fall down onto the table, not in the mood to deal with Naruto. Naruto kicked him a few more times.

“Are you okay?” Naruto asked.

“No.” Sasuke mumbled into the table.

“Wait, what? You – You’re okay?”

“Nooo.”

“No, you’re not okay?”

“Nooooooo.” Sasuke groaned and hit his head on the table a few times. “Why is Sai _so weird_?”

Naruto opened his mouth to say something probably stupid when Itachi walked into the room only wearing a pair of ill-fitting sweatpants that were probably made for someone two sizes smaller.

“Sorry, I’ll have the food out in just a minute.” Itachi said, running his hand across Naruto’s shoulders as he walked by.

“Itachi, did you uh, forget to do the laundry or something?” Naruto asked after a confused moment. Itachi smiled at Naruto from the kitchen as he gathered their food.

“No, I just think the heat is starting to get to me.”

“Ah, well, you – uh – turned off the air conditioning when you got home.”

“Trying to save money.” Itachi deflected, leaning over to put the food out on the table. Naruto furrowed his brows in suspicion. Even Sasuke brought his head up from the table to gape at him.

Itachi, save money? The only thing Itachi knows what to do with money is give it to Sasuke.

Sasuke would know – he made sure of it.

_Something terrible is happening_ , Sasuke suddenly knew.

Itachi, composed as ever, ignored their suspicion as he placed the correct portions onto each of their plates and took a seat next to Naruto, making sure to grip Naruto’s shoulder in the process. Naruto sent him a bizarre look, but soon set his sights on the food in front of him.

Sasuke’s brain stalled as he took in the scene across from him, knowing he could easily connect the dots between what happened earlier and what was currently taking place. His brain fizzled as he desperately wiped any trace of connection clear from his mind.

Itachi was just indulging Sai earlier – that was it. He felt bad for the weird kid; Itachi was unnecessarily nice like that despite Sasuke’s machinations.

So it was with no small amount of horror that Sasuke watched Itachi lean against the table and pull his hair free from its tie and run a hand through it, long strands cascading through his fingers and falling behind his bared neck, staring intently at Naruto all the while. Naruto’s eyes shifted nervously between his food and Itachi.

“…Not going to eat?” Naruto tentatively asked, prodding at his own food. Itachi shrugged and smirked as he leaned in towards Naruto, reaching out with a hand before letting it rest next to Naruto’s on the table.

“Naruto – the truth is…”

Sasuke flipped the table over.

After a very awkward moment of silence consisting of a red faced, angrily huffing Sasuke, a bewildered Naruto covered in food, and a mildly disappointed Itachi, Naruto spoke.

“Uh, Sasuke? You okay?”

Sasuke closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, somehow managing to compose himself.

“My hand slipped.” He calmly explained. A maniacal smile unnervingly split across his face as his eyes widened innocently as if to say ‘ _what now, dipshit?’_

“Your hand slipped.”

“Hn.”

“You knocked the entire table over.”

“I can’t control how badly my hand slips, Naruto.”

They stared at each other mutely until Itachi sighed and stood up.

“I’ll restart some rice if you two clean up this mess.” He said, gesturing to the overturned table. Sasuke shifted almost (keyword: _almost_ ) guiltily where he stood before solidifying his resolve and glaring at Naruto.

“This is your fault.” Sasuke seethed quietly when Itachi was out of hearing range. Naruto made a perplexed face as he brushed the soy sauce off of his forehead.

“I think we need to turn the air conditioning back on.” Naruto determined. “Uchihas are _weird_ when it gets hot.”

* * *

The following day started out well enough.

Well enough due to the fact that Naruto refused to wake up in the morning, meaning Sasuke didn’t have to see the eyesore _at all_. Yup, there was no better way to start the day. It got better when Itachi decided to walk down with him to his group’s meeting point, citing apologies for not getting around to training with Sasuke the previous day.

Sasuke never suspected a thing.

They walked upon the usual scene – Sakura shouting something at Sai while he shuffled nervously under her attention, bland placating smile in place. Kakashi, of course, was nowhere to be found. Sasuke noticed his brother glancing around discretely just in case.

“Good morning, Sakura-chan. Sai-kun.” Itachi greeted as they stepped onto the bridge. Sasuke grumbled something that most definitely was not a greeting as he jumped up and sat on the railing, determined to ignore the annoyances and continue his good day uninterrupted as long as possible.

“I-Itachi-san! Sasuke-kun!” Sakura responded, throwing Sai a dirty look when he ignored the two Uchihas in favor of reaching into his pack. “I didn’t expect to see you this morning, Itachi-san.”

“If I don’t give Sasuke enough attention he becomes very uncivil.” Itachi teased.

“I do not!” Sasuke refuted.

“ _More_ uncivil?” Sai asked, dodging Sakura’s swat as he passed her and handed Itachi a notebook. “I went to the library last night and found some more books you might be interested in, but the librarian wouldn’t let me check them out for some reason. I managed to take a few notes just in case you were still interested.”

Sai spent the next fifteen minutes evading kunai thrown by Sasuke and a confused, but eager to please, Sakura.

It was only after he ran out of kunai that Sasuke hollered, “My brother is _not interested_ , Sai!”

Sai pointed to Itachi. He was avidly reading the notes Sai dropped when the first kunai whizzed by his head. Sasuke experienced a full body twitch. Possibly even a seizure.

“What is he reading?” Sakura asked when Sasuke became dead to the world.

“Romance advice.” Sai summed up.

“So even Itachi-san needs help with those kinds of things.” Sakura said, mostly to herself. “No, wait! That means – is he having trouble in his relationship with Naruto?”

“Naruto?” Sai asked.

“Naruto has nothing to do with anything!” Sasuke forced out through his teeth, livid just at hearing the name. A hand fell on top of Sasuke’s head.

“Thank you, Sai. That was very… enlightening.” Itachi said as he handed Sai’s notebook back. “I’d love to stay, but I’m sure Kakashi-san would prefer I don’t intrude on his well planned out schedule for the three of you.”

That was Itachi for ‘I just really don’t want to see Kakashi.’

With a quick farewell, he was gone, leaving Sasuke with the omnipresent feeling of dread. Kakashi arrived just on time (two hours late) and training went as usual (stupidly). If Sasuke was a bit quieter than usual (he wasn’t), no one said a thing.

“And I have homework for you kids tonight.” Kakashi imposed right as they were prepared to hightail it back to town. “I want the three of you to find a fellow ninja who has been in the game for a few years and ask them for the most important advice they could give you based on their own personal experiences. Make sure to write it down and have it with you tomorrow morning. And Sasuke – your family doesn’t count. Ask someone else. Naruto-kun, for example.”

“Naruto isn’t even a real ninja!” Sasuke protested. “He just does fuinjutsu all day – he probably can’t even throw a kunai.”

“Sasuke-kun,” Sakura interrupted uncertainly, “Fuinjutsu is a really difficult to learn – maybe you should give Naruto some more credit?”

Sasuke was going to protest some more when Kakashi broke in. “Sakura-chan is correct, Sasuke-kun. While I do not know the full extent of Naruto’s abilities, it is undisputed that he is _very_ good at fuinjutsu. Even the Yondaime is impressed by his work. In fact, Naruto is now your homework, no exceptions. Get all the advice you can get out of him and then some. Get his life story, his hopes, his dreams, his failures. If you fail – hmm, I’m sure you can guess what you’ll be doing tomorrow.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Dead serious, Sasuke-kun. You should consider yourself lucky – your teammates have to find their own victims. Oh, and don’t let him know it’s your homework. Consider it subterfuge training.”

“ _Dammit_.”

It was with extreme loathing that Sasuke barged into Naruto’s room and glared him into submission.

“Oh, hey Sasuke.” Naruto said a full seven minutes after Sasuke entered. “Didn’t see you there. Did you need something?”

Sasuke’s glare intensified as his lip curled into a snarl.

“We need to talk.” He forced out.

Naruto’s expression bled into confusion before relief took over. “So you’ve noticed it too?”

Suddenly confused, Sasuke asked. “Noticed what?”

“ _Itachi_.” Naruto whispered, his eyes shifting back and forth in suspicion as though saying the name would summon him. “Itachi’s been acting _weird_.” Sasuke _was_ aware of this – maybe this was his opportunity to intervene? “Earlier today, he said he had to show me something. Which, you know, is fine – whatever. Then he dragged me into the closet and shut the door. Then we just stood there for a while and when I tried to open the door, he stopped me and said the door was locked, I couldn’t open it.”

The dead look on Sasuke’s face could have frozen the sun.

_What the fuck did Sai show Itachi?_

“Sasuke, the closet door doesn’t have a lock. Even if it did, I mean, really? What’s going on here? Is there something obvious I’m missing or is your brother going insane? Because that’s something I feel like I should know about if I’m living here.”

“Nii-san has been overworking himself.” Sasuke answered after a moment’s thought. “Just act like nothing weird is going on and he’ll get better soon.”

“Oh, so he’s – like this when under a lot of stress?”

“Yes.” _Yes – fall for it, fall for it, fall for it – “_ Nii-san has strange coping mechanisms. Just ignore them.” Sasuke mentally applauded himself at the smooth delivery. Sasuke was the _master_ at Subterfuge. Kakashi should bow before his mastery, not give him crappy assignments to talk to Naruto.

“If you say so – well okay then! Now I feel a little less awkward. Going straight back into so much work after having some time off would throw anyone off, I guess.”

“Obviously.” Sasuke waved off. “But that’s not what I came here for.”

“Eh? What’s up?”

“I was thinking about what you said awhile back, about learning everything you can from anything you can? Well – what’s the most important advice you could give me? Based on your own experiences.” Sasuke was on a roll today. He’d successfully stop whatever was going on with Itachi and Naruto _and_ get the stupid assignment completed. Kakashi was probably expecting him to fail. He’d show him.

Naruto sat up straight in his chair as he blinked in confusion. He mouthed something to himself as he narrowed his eyes suddenly.

“The most important advice I can offer?” He asked for clarification.

“Yeah...” _That’s literally what I just said, moron._

A fierce expression hardened his face as he said, “Always check the toilet paper before you sit to take a dump.”

Sasuke could swear he heard something crack before he screamed, “That’s NOT the kind of advice I meant you DUMBASS!”

Naruto, to his credit, looked as serious as humanly possible. “But really, Sasuke, have you ever been on the toilet and suddenly realized there was no toilet paper? It’s worse than Armageddon. What do you do? Sacrifice a piece of clothing? Sacrifice your _hand_? What if there’s no running water nearby? No leaves? I still have nightmares sometimes, Sasuke.”

“I can’t believe you’re still talking to me about this. Fine. Toilet paper. I got it. What else?” Sasuke said, defeated in more than one way. Well if he had to suffer through this – so did Kakashi. He stole a piece of paper from Naruto’s desk and wrote the uh, _advic_ _e_ down.

“What else? Hmm. Let me think. My friend, Saku – erm – _Sakurai-kun_ , used to say this all the time: ‘Don’t argue with stupid people, they’ll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.’ She usually said it to someone while I was talking to them, not sure why. But a lot of people seemed agree with her!”

Sasuke felt like crying.

It was with a heavy hand that Sasuke handed his homework into Kakashi the following day.

“Maa, Sasuke-kun. You have a hard look in your eyes I’ve only ever seen in war veterans. What exactly did our dear Naruto-kun tell you?” He asked. Sasuke turned around and dragged his feet elsewhere. Kakashi said nothing as he turned his attention to the stack of papers in his hand. “This is… Oh my.” He shuffled through the papers quickly, his eye scanning the words impossibly fast. “Top marks, Sasuke-kun. I’ll forgive you for not getting his hopes, dreams, and failures, because you’ve gotten something much better.”

“Wow, Sasuke-kun – what did Naruto tell you?” Sakura asked as Sai listened in. Sasuke stared into the sun, hoping it would bleach his brain.

“Remember: Water is wet… Bears don’t like having their picture taken… If you don’t want someone to ask you to do something again, do it terribly the first time… Never use your favorite song as an alarm… Never make eye contact while eating a banana… Make sure to close your eyes when you sleep… Don’t fart in front of the air conditioner… Never trust a guy in a trench coat… If a guy looks like a shark, he’s probably a shark...” Kakashi mumbled as he read through the list.

Sakura brought a hand over her eyes.

“Ooh.” Sai said as he worked his way over to Kakashi. “That sounds useful, can I read it too?”

“Of course, Sai-kun.”

Sasuke later went home more tired than he’d been in a very long time. As soon as he walked in the door, he wished he’d gone to his _real_ house, not his brother’s.

Naruto was standing by the window, a _very_ amused look on his face he poorly tried to cover with a hand. Opposite him stood a very busty and scantily clad woman who looked uncannily like Itachi.

_Itachi-san can be whatever he wants to be, Sasuke-kun. If he decides to be your sister instead of your brother, would you hold it against him?_ Sai’s words rang through Sasuke’s head.

“Welcome home, Sasuke.” Naruto said, the words muffled by his hand. His brother-sister looked in his direction, not a trace of shame or guilt on his-her face. “Meet Ita-chan. She’s a bit shy.”

Ita-chan (?!) spared Naruto a dry glance before saying, “Welcome home, Sasuke,” in his normal voice. He flicked his longer than usual hair from his eyes before crossing his arms, amplifying his already prominent assets.

Sasuke never thought breasts would traumatize him again after the first time he met Tsunade. He was wrong.

“Naruto was showing me –”

_No, no, no, nononoo –_

“HELLO NEE-SAN!” Sasuke nearly screeched. “I just remembered I forgot something incredibly very unforgivably important back in town and I have to go see you later or not I might go home tonight bye.” He nearly pried the door off its hinge as he tore through it, immediately slamming face first into Sai.

“Was that pretty lady your brother?” Sai asked, having gotten a glimpse past Sasuke before the door slammed shut. “I guess he tried the transform into the opposite sex tactic.” Sasuke _thought_ he murmured.

Sasuke loomed threateningly over him. “ _What are you doing here,_ Sai.” He hissed.

“Oh, I wanted to talk to Naruto. He lives here, right? He seems like a very knowledgeable person based on your homework assignment. I wanted to get his advice and clarification on a few things. Kakashi-sensei encouraged me.”

Sasuke was developing a permanent twitch. “He’s not here.” He lied as he dragged Sai out of the building. Sai’s face actually managed to portray a look of disappointment as he stumbled along.

“Where are we going, Sasuke-kun?” Sai asked after Sasuke had yet to release him.

“I’m going to finish what Sakura failed to back in the academy.” Sasuke explained as he tightened his grip, looking up at the mountainside. Sai turned green.

Sasuke went back to his brother’s that night, wary but dedicated to helping his brother fight the madness that has plagued him the past few days. There was only one foreseeable permanent solution.

Naruto had to be dealt with. Soon.

Fortunately (for Sasuke), Itachi had patrol that night, leaving Sasuke alone with Naruto.

Sasuke thought back to the advice his mother once gave him. Advice he hadn’t _quite_ followed to the letter, but kept in the back of his mind regardless.

Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.

And _oh,_ did Sasuke have plans. The other two points were still works in progress.

The next day found an oddly chipper Sasuke at the team meeting spot. Kakashi appeared (late) and immediately looked suspicious.

“Where is Sai-kun?”

Sakura shrugged. “He didn’t show up this morning.”

Sasuke might have been humming as he smiled in the direction of the mountain, the morning sun coupled with the rising mist creating quite the splendid view. He ignored both Kakashi’s and Sakura’s stares. He shrugged guilelessly and didn’t bother repressing the smug grin on his face.

Tiredly, Kakashi said, “Well then, I suppose we’ll have to start the day without him.”

It was several hours later when Itachi found them, a wretched-looking Sai trailing behind him. Sasuke’s mood plummeted slightly, but picked back up when his brother patted his head.

“I found him on patrol – he was tied up and left in a small notch on the cliff side.”

“Huh, weird. I wonder how that happened.” Sasuke vocalized a little too loudly. Everyone turned to stare at him. He smiled demurely. Kakashi shuddered at the sight.

“Yes, _weird_.” Itachi dryly repeated, patting Sai comfortingly on the back when he smiled/grimaced painfully at Sasuke. “And Sasuke – did you see Naruto this morning? He wasn’t at the apartment when I stopped by earlier.”

“Naruto’s missing? How strange. No, nope. Can’t say I have any idea where Naruto went off to. Gone forever, probably.”

“What do you mean ‘probably’, Sasuke-kun?” Kakashi asked.

Sasuke sneered. “I mean _probably_.”

There was an awkward quiet before Kakashi announced an early end to training, wished Itachi luck, and vanished in a flurry of leaves. Itachi leveled a stare at the faux innocence plastered on Sasuke’s face, but Sasuke was immune. Advantages of being the little brother.

Sakura tiptoed over to Sai, where the two of them tried to unobtrusively watch the drama unfold from two meters away.

“Sasuke, do we need to talk?”

“Nii-san,” Sasuke said pointedly, “We are talking right now.”

Itachi’s eyes very nearly rolled up into his skull. He muttered to himself, “Where did this cheek come from?” He sighed as he came to a realization. “Mother.” He answered himself. “Sasuke, I’m going to go home and sleep. If you happen to run into Naruto, let him know the Yondaime is looking for him.”

“Sure, okay. Not that I’ll be running into him, but no problem.” Sasuke chirped out, still in high spirits.

As Itachi turned to leave, Sai handed him a piece of paper. Itachi looked over it curiously, and it was only Sasuke’s certainty that Sai could no longer do any harm that kept him from burning it to ash.

“Sai-kun, are these from another book?” Itachi asked.

“No, these ones were written by the girls I knew from the academy.” Sai explained. Sakura blushed as recognition lit her face.

“I see. Thank you, Sai-kun. While I haven’t made the progress I could have due to… _interference_ … I believe I have learned a few things that may help me in the future when my situation is less… _obstructed._ ” He very noticeably eyed Sasuke. Sasuke very noticeably didn’t care. Itachi may not understand right now, but Sasuke was doing all of this for _his own good_.

When Itachi was out of sight, Sakura rounded on Sai. “Why did you give that to Itachi-san? You said you were just _researching_!”

“Yes, I was researching how to help Itachi-san with his relationship problems.”

Sasuke didn’t even care anymore. He shoved his hands into his pockets and sauntered away.

“Itachi-san is in a committed relationship already – he doesn’t need Ino’s or – or _my_ advice!”

“I talked to Itachi-san on the way over here, and I think he appreciates any advice he can get.”

“But he’s – Oh wait, why were you tied up on a cliff, anyways?”

Sasuke walked faster.

He was met with extreme disappointment when Naruto was returned to the apartment later that night, towed in by a very aggravated Tsunade. She shoved him at Sasuke.

“Keep him. Only return him if he’s on the verge of death. Even then – do everything you can in your own power to save him, because I’m not sure I’d want to.”

Naruto smiled and waved as she stormed back through the door without another word.

“That was fun.” Naruto said, immediately going for the cupboard his instant ramen was stashed in. “I mean – I didn’t appreciate being given a concussion, being dragged to the hospital, and then you making up some story about how my chakra tried to explode and you feared for your safety and well being – but I liked spending time with baachan. She always makes time for me, even though she could pawn me off on someone else when I’m there.”

“Sasuke gave you a concussion?” Itachi asked after he exited his room, probably having heard Tsunade crash in through the door.

“He said he wanted to practice a new jutsu and he made me promise to close my eyes and not to move a centimeter.” Naruto defended himself, not wanting to seem like he let a genin get the better of him. “I honestly wasn’t expecting a frying pan to the back of the head.”

Itachi stared at Sasuke. Sasuke scowled back, upset he was caught so soon. He was hoping for at least a couple days of Naruto-free time in which he could come up with something else to get rid of Naruto.

“Anyone want some ramen?”

Sasuke sulked the rest of the night away, ignoring the cheerful idiot and the disappointed looks Itachi kept throwing him. He didn’t even have it in him to react when Itachi spent a full thirty minutes gracelessly complimenting Naruto on everything he possibly could –

“You have beautiful hair, Naruto.”

“Itachi, my hair looks like a mop. The only way I’ll be able to save it is with a buzzcut.”

\- or when he talked about possibly dating again and suggested that Naruto shouldn’t approve of it -

“Why would I be upset? You _should_ be out there having fun. Unless you’re going to ask out Kakashi. I would really have to judge you then. I’m sorry, that’s – just – no. Don’t do that.”

\- or when he tried to give Naruto an impromptu lesson on cooking with a lot of unnecessary touching.

Sasuke abandoned his ‘room’ and headed for the front door. He felt failure course through his bones. He should have burned that pink book the moment he saw Sakura fling it across the path. Should have thrown it in the river. Should have thrown _Sai_ in the river. If that pink book had never existed, Itachi would never have gotten all those terrible ideas in his head.

Ultimately, it was all Naruto’s fault. He must be doing some weird mind trick to make Itachi act like this. Maybe the stupidity was all an act. Maybe he was a secret mastermind and only Sasuke could see him for who he was.

He walked right into Sai as he stepped through the door.

“ _What are you doing here_?” He hissed.

“Research.” Sai said. “I see your brother has attempted the ‘jealousy’, the ‘stroke his ego’, and the ‘be a good cook’ tactics tonight.”

“You – how – you’ve been _watching_ them?”

“Of course I have.” Sai answered as though he _wasn’t_ the creepiest kid on the planet. Sasuke dragged him away from the apartment and tried not to think about how long Sai has been watching them. For Sasuke’s fragile mental state, he hoped tonight was the only night. “Please don’t attempt to bring me back to the mountain – I am prepared to defend myself this time.”

“I don’t even care anymore, Sai. I just need to get away and you need to stop being a creep. I just need – to find a way to destroy Naruto. Yes. That’s all.” Sasuke started to ramble. “Nii-san only keeps him around because he feels bad for him, that’s it. I just need to prove to him that Naruto’s a lying, conniving, horrible leech and he’ll be sent away forever. This whole week needs to go away forever.”

“I don’t think you can make a week go away forever, Sasuke-kun. Unless you find a way to travel through time – and even then it would still exist in your memory. Well, unless you found a way to erase your memories too. But if you travel through time and erase your memories, how could you stop the week from ever happening again?”

“Sai. Shut up.”

“Its okay to be sad, Sasuke-kun. Just don’t stay there. That’s what they say at my group therapy sessions.”

“You have problems. And never talk to me about this week ever again. In fact, don’t talk to me ever again. At all. Starting now.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow, Sasuke-kun!”

Fortunately for Sasuke, Itachi ended up having to work too much to continue acting like a lunatic.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, the week was forever engraved into his memory.

“So Itachi-san really followed the plans Ino and I gave you?” Sakura asked Sai, her eyes wide and face more than a little red. Sasuke stumbled out of his thoughts. How did the conversation change from Kakashi’s true face to _that week_ even happen?

“Yup. I guess I should let you know they ended in resounding failures.” Sai informed, plastic smile in place.

“Stop – stop talking about it!” Sasuke stammered, jumping over to them in an effort to physically dismiss the conversation. How much did Sai tell Sakura? How did Sasuke not notice? “I already told you – it never happened! Anyways – Kakashi-sensei’s face –“

“Oh? Do you three know Hatake Kakashi-kun?” A soft voice carried over to them. A pretty woman with rich brown hair tied back in a long plait smiled cheerfully at them.

“Um, yes!” Sakura answered, a little surprised. They hadn’t even noticed her. “He’s our sensei. Are you a friend of his?”

The woman smiled shyly and looked down briefly, the lighting of dusk casting red hues over her gentle brown eyes. “Kakashi-kun and I go _way_ back. The three of you are so lucky – he must be an incredible teacher! I was his teammate before, you know. He really is an incredible guy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, sorry guys. I really didn't mean to disappear for so long! I promise I haven't been slacking! But anyways, enjoy the stupidity of this chapter because after this point you won't be seeing it for a while. 
> 
> On another note - I've (finally) started a tumblr ( http://iheardthat.tumblr.com/ ). When I say started, I mean literally just created. I haven't even posted anything yet, but I'm going to be using it to dump drawings, extra scenes, and more stupid little comics for this fic and others that I am going to post eventually (not just for the Naruto fandom), so feel free to follow if you want to keep up on that or you want another means to harass me into posting faster. =P (Seriously, it works. Every comment I get is a successful guilt trip. Even the really nice ones. ESPECIALLY the really nice ones.) I am complete shit at social media and internet stuff in general, but I think being able to post random silly stuff every now and then will help encourage me to actually get to writing more. 
> 
> But anyhow! About the chapter: it's no secret now - and a lot of you already guessed it, but Rin is one of the mysteries of this story. (Let me know your theories down below so I can read them and wonder why I didn't think of that.)


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